Police have said they believe missing mum Nicola Bulley most likely 'fell into the river' while she was out walking her dog.
Ms Bulley was last seen near the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire on Friday 27 January, with her disappearance prompting a huge search.
Police said that their ‘main working hypothesis’ is that she fell into the River Wyre and that ‘this is not suspicious but a tragic case of a missing person’.
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The 45-year-old mum vanished while walking her dog Willow after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school last Friday morning.
She was last seen at 9.10am and had logged on to a work Teams call, which ended at 9.30am with her still connected.
Her mobile phone and the lead and harness for Willow, were found on a bench close to the River Wyre in the Lancashire countryside.
Superintendent Sally Riley of Lancashire Police said that inquiries so far had left a 10-minute window in which they cannot account for Ms Bulley’s movements last Friday.
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They also believe that she did not leave the riverside area after looking through CCTV, dashcam and Ring doorbell footage.
Ms Riley said: “Our main working hypothesis is that Nicola has suddenly fallen into the river, that there’s no third-party or criminal involvement, and that this is not suspicious but a tragic case of a missing person.”
Earlier today, Ms Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, said the family will ‘never lose hope’ and that his main focus is to remain strong for the couple's young daughters.
He said: “Every single scenario comes to a brick wall. Every single one of them.
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“All we are doing is sitting there going round and round and round through each scenario.
“We’re never, ever going to lose hope, of course we’re not, but it is as though she has vanished into thin air. It’s just insane.”
He added: “My whole focus is my two girls, just staying as strong as I can for them.
“I’m scared that if I put focus into anything else it’s going to take my focus off that.
“Just hoping to goodness that anything comes out from the interview yesterday no matter how tiny.”
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A potential witness, a dog walker, who was traced following a police appeal on Thursday, said she had spoken to officers and 'doesn’t know anything'.
Lancashire Police have said they do not believe any crime has been committed and are treating the incident as a missing person inquiry.
Topics: UK News
Claire Reid