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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Lucy John & Kieren Williams

Nicola Bulley police find potential witness in red coat in search for missing dog walker

A potential witness has come forward in the search for missing dog walker and mum Nicola Bulley.

Earlier today police issued another appeal for a potentially key witness in the search the mortgage advisor who was last seen around 9.20am last Friday.

Nicola, 45, had been walking her brown springer spaniel Willow at the time, and on a work call.

But since vanishing, a massive manhunt has been launched along the River Wyre in the village of St Michael’s, Lancashire.

Then, today Lancashire Constabulary released a CCTV image of a woman in a red coat walking a white dog, who is believed to have been in St Michael’s on Wyre when Nicola disappeared on January 27.

The search continues for Nicola Bulley after she vanished on a morning dog walk (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

They have also stressed there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola's disappearance.

The woman had been pictured wearing a red and white coat, and walking a small white dog around 8.48am close to where Nicola was last seen.

The mum-of-two has been missing for nearly a week as search teams comb the river (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
The witness police appealed to find who has since come forward (Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS.C)

Earlier today, police divers returned to the spot where Nicola was last seen to carry out an extensive new search of the area.

A team of divers trawled beneath the surface of the River Wyre while other officers combed the banks and a fire service boat team accompanied by a specialist search dog scoured the water surface.

A member of the public raised the alarm not long after Nicola was last seen on Friday after they recognised her dog, Willow, running loose without a harness on.

The alarm was raised after the family dog Willow was spotted running free (Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

The mum's mobile phone was also found nearby and it is understood she had been on a work call around the time she disappeared but had her camera off and microphone muted.

She had just dropped off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at the local school and after going missing her phone was found on a park bench nearby, along with the harness and lead for her dog.

Timeline of Nicola Bulley's last known movements

8.43am: Nicola walked along the path by the River Wyre, having dropped her children off at school

Police search teams continue looking along the murky waters of the River Wyre in an continued effort to find missing mum-of-two Nicola (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

8:50am (approximately): A dog-walker, known to Nicola, saw her walking around the lower field with her dog. Their two dogs interacted briefly before the witness left the field via the river path

8.53am: Nicola sent an email to her boss

9.01am: She logged into a Teams call

9.10am (approximately): A witness, somebody who knows Nicola, saw her on the upper field walking her dog Willow Work is ongoing today to establish exactly what time this was.

Nicola's family said they were "going round and round in circles" after her disappearance (strava)
Police has stressed there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola's disappearance (strava)

9.30am: The Teams call ended but Nicola stayed logged on

9.35am (approximately): Nicola’s mobile phone and Willow were found at a bench by the river by another dog-walker

Speaking on Sky News, Nicola's family broke down in tears as they said they were "stuck in a nightmare" after she "vanished into thin air".

Nicola's sister Louise Cunningham, speaking to Sky News today, said: "I just can't ... if I'm being honest, it feels like I'm just stuck in a nightmare.

"We're going round and round in circles trying to piece together what could have possibly happened and we've just got to keep such an open mind with everything because we just have no idea where she is.

"It's like she's just vanished into thin air. There's no evidence to point us in any direction.

"Obviously, my hope is that she's still out there. Something's happened and she's ... I don't know, needed to take herself off for whatever reason."

They appealed for the public's help in locating her in the hope she might be able to help with the ongoing search and in an update, the force said she has since been identified.
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