Nicola Bulley latest: Police FIND potential key witness in search for missing dog walker
Police have tracked down a potential key witness in their hunt for missing mum and dog walker Nicola Bulley, who vanished last week.
The 45-year-old was last seen walking the family dog Willow, at the footpath of a river at 9.15am on Friday, in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
The mum-of-two, who works as a mortgage advisor, had been on a work call at the time she disappeared but appeared to have her camera off and microphone muted.
Police told the Mirror that her phone was found on a bench with the work teams call still on the screen and Willow was found close by.
Today Lancashire Police released a statement saying they believed a man aged around 70 was in the area at the time.
Since their appeal the man has been found, police confirmed this afternoon, and he is being interviewed.
Earlier today police said: “We are especially keen to find a witness we believe was in the area at the time Nicola went missing.
“He is described as a man aged around 70, white, six ft tall, well-built who was walking a small white fluffy dog on a lead.
“He spoke to a woman in the area before walking in the direction of Rowanwater. If this is you, or if you know who this could be, please get in touch.”
Just a matter of hours later officers confirmed their appeal had been successful, adding: “He has since been located and is currently being spoken to. Our thanks to those who shared our appeal.”
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Paul Greenwood/REX/Shutterstock)
Ben Pociecha, the director of Exclusively Mortgages, told The Daily Telegraph that Nicola had logged onto the team meeting at 9.01am on Friday.
“It seems as if she was muted and didn’t have her camera on. She was listening in whilst walking her dog,” he said.
Superintendent Sally Riley told the Mirror: “It was on a meeting call, and that was still live it was connected to the conference call and that hadn’t been terminated.”
The alarm was raised when a member of the public later recognised the brown cocker spaniel on its own and phoned Lancashire Police.
In recent days specialist officers have been trawling a river in small boats and combing through the grass.
Nicola is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair. She speaks with an Essex accent.
She was last seen wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellies. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.
“There were numerous parties involved in this. A lot of people attended the call. The police are investigating the call.”
In a statement Nicola’s family said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from our community and would like to thank everyone for their ongoing efforts to help us find Nicola.
“The girls are desperate to have their mummy back home safe with them and your ongoing efforts have provided comfort to them whilst we await news on Nicola.
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Dave Nelson)
“We ask for anyone who thinks they may have any information that may help the police find Nicola to please come forward and help them with their enquiries.”
A search of the area involving specialist police resources as well as colleagues from the Coastguard and Bowland Mountain Rescue continues.
Friends of Nicola’s have said they “still have hope”, pal Emma White told the BBC: “Our ultimate priority is to find Nikki.
“We still have hope. We don’t know what’s happened, it was just a normal day in a normal life.”
Speaking directly to Nicola on BBC Radio Lancashire, Emma added: “We’re missing you immensely and we’ve got two little girls who want to see their mummy.
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“If you are out there Nik come on, come back, we need you, we love you lots.”
Nicola appeared to know the route she disappeared on very well and shared pictures of her previous walks on social media.
But partner Paul said he and his family had been living in “perpetual hell” since her disappearance.
He learned something was wrong when, after dropping their kids off at school like normal, he received a call from the school “regarding somebody who had found Willow and Nikki’s phone and the dog lead and harness on the bench.”
Supt Sally Riley said: “We remain extremely concerned for Nicola and we continue to do everything we can to try and find her and to provide some answers for her family who are obviously beside themselves with worry.
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“I must stress at this time that this remains a missing person inquiry and at this time there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.
“We appreciate there is also a great deal of concern in the local community, and we appreciate people want to help. However, parts of the riverbank are treacherous, and we would ask that nobody puts themselves in danger and that the police and partner agencies’ efforts to find Nicola are not compromised.
“If anybody has any questions or concerns, they are welcome to speak to officers in the area.”
Anybody who has seen Nicola, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30th. For immediate sightings please call 999.