Could these photos of Nicola Bulley’s dog swimming in the river where mother went missing blow key police theory apart? Snaps emerge of springer spaniel after officers suggested mortgage advisor had gone to help her pet in the water
- Picture has emerged showing Willow happily swimming in the River Wyre
- Image implies she would not have been concerned if he had entered the water
Photographs have emerged of Nicola Bulley’s springer spaniel swimming in the river where the mother-of-two went missing – after police suggested she had gone into the water to help her pet.
Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her dog Willow along the River Wyre near the village of St Michael’s, Lancashire, at around 9.20am on January 27.
Lancashire Police and private diving company Specialist Group International (SGI) have both conducted extensive searches along the river, but have so far found no trace of the mortgage adviser.
Police continue to work under the hypothesis that Ms Bulley slipped into the water, possibly while trying to help her dog, and drowned. But Willow was completely dry when her phone was found laid on a bench next to her roaming dog, close to the water’s edge.
A picture has now been revealed showing Willow happily swimming in the same river – implying she would not have been concerned if he had entered the water.
Willow, Nicola Bulley’s springer spaniel, is seen in water with a tennis ball in his mouth looking towards the camera
Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her dog along the River Wyre near the village of St Michael’s, Lancashire, on January 27
It shows Willow lying in the water with a tennis ball in his mouth as he looks towards the camera, The Mirror reports.
The picture was taken on July 5, 2022, with the caption reading: ‘A quick morning walk before a busy day ahead! Willow living her best life!’
READ MORE: Now police looking for Nicola Bulley issue blanket 48-hour dispersal order in village where mother went missing after amateur sleuths started searching abandoned house along river at centre of mystery
It comes as police dive teams have now moved their search towards the sea after SGI abandoned their search of the river yesterday.
It has also emerged that investigators could be trying to trace a ‘tatty’ red van parked near to where Ms Bulley vanished two weeks ago, after a witness reported it to police on two occasions.
Two boats with specialist police teams are now searching the coast off Morecambe Bay, around 20 miles from where Nicola was last seen, with police suggesting finding her ‘in the open sea becomes more of a possibility’.
Specialist diving units have also been deployed to search parts of the nine-mile stretch of river from the bench where her phone and dog were found to the bay, Sky News reports.
According to the Times, a 55-year-old witness reported a red van to police on the day Nicola disappeared and again on February 2.
The woman, who asked not to be named, told the paper: ‘I was on my way to the cake shop when I saw a tatty red van in Hall Lane outside a barn.
‘I didn’t think anything at the time, but when I saw Nicola had gone missing, I called 101 and spoke to an operator. I contacted the police again and spoke to a police officer.
‘It could have been a Renault van. It was the sort of van you can live in.’
A Lancashire Police spokesperson would not comment on the report, but said: ‘We have received a huge amount of information into the enquiry, all of which is being looked at, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has assisted our investigation so far.’
This is the area police have been searching for almost a fortnight but there is no sign of Ms Bulley
Two police boats prepare to depart from Morecambe Bay as the search for Nicola moved to the sea on Thursday
A lifeboat sweeps the river Wyre multiple times where it meets the estuary of Morecambe Bay, in Lancashire, two weeks on from missing Nicola Bulley
It comes as police sought to reassure the public today that their search is still active after no officers or divers were seen at the immediate scene of her disappearance along the River Wyre.
After three days of intense activity with diving expert Peter Faulding leading a search on a five-mile stretch of the river, it was eerily quiet with no police around.
READ MORE: Now police looking for Nicola Bulley issue blanket 48-hour dispersal order in village where mother went missing after amateur sleuths started searching abandoned house along river at centre of mystery
Mr Faulding and his Specialist Group International team ended their investigations after he declared Ms Bulley was not in the stretch of river where he had been searching using high-tech sonar.
Police divers had joined in his search – but they were absent today with Lancashire Police assuring the public the search is continuing along other stretches of the river than runs into Morecombe Bay.
Mr Faulding has said he doubts that Ms Bulley’s body would have been carried so far into the bay and out into the Irish Sea if she had indeed drowned.
He told her partner Paul Ansell, 44, yesterday that she ‘may never be found’.
Mr Faulding said: ‘She may never be found. We don’t know. No one knows. It is unusual because usually you have some evidence.
‘Here we have nothing. We have nothing to go on apart from a phone and a harness.’
Meanwhile, police have also have also issued a warning to amateur sleuths making ill-informed and offensive comments on social media about the family and the investigation.
The spokesman said the comments on social media were being examined and charges could follow.
A group of men from Liverpool were apparently dispersed by police as they tried to search this property
‘We are also aware of a number of grossly offensive comments being made on social media and elsewhere. We are looking into these and will not hesitate to take action where appropriate,’ the spokesman said.
Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell has been the subject of vile comments on social media posts.
Mediums and so-called paranormal experts have also been posting their theories about what has happened to the 45-year-old mother.
One person even posted a sketch on social media of what they thought the person who ‘abducted’ her looked like. Another said police should examine track marks in the field behind the wooden bench where Nicola’s mobile phone was found.
Police also confirmed that a dispersal order put in place for the village of St Michael’s on the Wyre remains in place for eight hours.
It was issued at 8.40pm on Wednesday night after police received a report that a group of men were travelling from Liverpool to carry out their own search of an abandoned house close to where the phone was found.
It was later confirmed the house had been searched by police and an outside rescue unit.
The spokesman said a number of people were warned of their behaviour.
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