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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Tim Hanlon & Lynn Love

Nicola Bulley search operation moves to Morecambe Bay as cops seen combing area

Police have been seen combing Morecambe Bay as the search for missing mum Nicola Bulley continues.

Two boats with specialist police teams have been seen in the sea almost two weeks after the 45-year-old's disappearance.

The teams were spotted moving upstream searching either side of the River Wyre. Nicola went missing while walking her dog in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, on 27 January, reports the Mirror.

Police have reportedly confirmed they are now concentrating on the mouth of the river and believe that finding Ms Bulley "in the open sea becomes more of a possibility".

A Lancashire Police statement read: "Our investigation to the disappearance of Nicola Bulley is continuing and we continue to search areas of the River Wyre and surrounding area.

"People may have seen less police activity today than previously in the area of the river above the weir but that is not because we have stepped down our searches, it is because the focus of the search has moved further downstream into the area of the river which becomes tidal and then out towards the sea."

It comes after a dive search specialist with years of experience claimed the missing mum-of-two was not in the river.

(Sky News)
(Sky News)

Peter Faulding's independent Specialist Group International (SGI) firm were drafted in earlier this week to aid Lancashire Police divers with their high-tech sonar equipment.

A Lancashire Police statement read: "Our investigation to the disappearance of Nicola Bulley is continuing and we continue to search areas of the River Wyre and surrounding area.

"People may have seen less police activity today than previously in the area of the river above the weir but that is not because we have stepped down our searches, it is because the focus of the search has moved further downstream into the area of the river which becomes tidal and then out towards the sea."

It comes after a dive search specialist with years of experience claimed the missing mum-of-two was not in the river.

(Nikki Bulley - Mortgage Adviser/Facebook)
(strava)

Peter Faulding's independent Specialist Group International (SGI) firm were drafted in earlier this week to aid Lancashire Police divers with their high-tech sonar equipment.

"Our search has not found Nicola in the river and then a re-search in parts by SGI has found the same," she said.

But Superintendent Riley said that the police still believes that Ms Bulley could have fallen into the water.

“In the light of other inquiries being discounted from the investigation so far… clearly our main belief is that Nicola did fall into the river," she said.

“Clearly Mr Faulding isn’t included within all the investigation detail any more than the members of the public are that I’m briefing through these sorts of press conferences.”

Ms Bulley vanished on January 27 after dropping off her two children at school in St Michael's, Lancashire, before taking family dog Willow for a walk on a nearby trail.

However, her phone was later found on a bench, with the springer spaniel wandering nearby without her harness.

Superintendent Riley has also urged the public this week to avoid "distressing" speculation about what might have happened to Ms Bulley.

"We would ask that people in the wider community, particularly on social media and online, do not speculate as to what may have happened to Nicola," she said

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