Missing Nicola Bulley: Camera that could have seen EVERYTHING was ‘only one broken’
A broken CCTV camera could have hindered the search for missing mum Nicola Bulley, it is claimed – as police admit “blackspots” have affected their investigation.
Officers have been trawling through camera footage trying to ascertain what happened to Nicola, 45, who has not been seen since January 27.
The detective heading the investigation says the mum-of-two may have fallen into the water while trying to retrieve her dog’s ball, but her friends and family have cast doubt on this theory.
Police believe it is “very unlikely” that a third party was involved, but Nicola’s sister has urged investigators to keep an “open mind”.
Hundreds of volunteers joined a search for the missing mortgage advisor today.
Nicola was walking with her springer spaniel Willow at the side of the River Wyre close to St Michael’s in Lancashire when she vanished.
A frustrated pal has said that the one camera that could shed light on what happened is broken, piling on agony for her family. This morning her loved ones joined a church service just a couple of hundred yards from where Nicola was last seen..
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Lancashire Police / SWNS)
The friend, named Tilly Ann, wrote in a Facebook post which she said was backed by Nicola’s family: “There’s CCTV at the back of the caravan park. The only camera that isn’t working is the one that would have seen everything.”
Today Lancashire Police said: “We can’t comment on specific parts of the enquiry. CCTV/dash cam footage etc is something the investigating team have been focusing on and we continue to ask the public’s help for that.”
Last week Superintendent Sally Riley, who is heading the investigation, said detectives have trawled through CCTV and found no footage of her leaving the park through most of the surrounding gates.
But she admitted there are camera blackspots.
Superintendent Riley told the Lancashire Post: “Several exits of the riverside area have CCTV covering them or exits are locked and therefore couldn’t have been passed through by Nicola.
“There’s only a very small area onto Garstang Lane toward the A5/A6 which is not covered by CCTV and that’s why we’re appealing today for dashcam footage or for people who may have been walking on Garstang Lane or driving in the area to come forward if they can.’”
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PA)
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PA)
The case has sent shockwaves through the community and people have travelled from far and wide to help.
Dad-of-two Mike Joyce, 47, brought his family from their home in Thornton-Cleveleys today to join the search.
He said: “We just wanted to do our bit for the community to help. We don’t know Nicola and have no connection to the village. But it’s terrible what has happened.
“I just feel so sorry for her family and can’t imagine what they are going through. I hope she is found soon.”
Mum-of-two Clare Brown, 36, had come from Blackpool to help in the search. She said: “It must be agonising for the family not knowing. I just wanted to do my bit so that the family knows that they are not alone.
“I just pray they can find her soon.”
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Writing on Facebook, pal Tilly Ann said she had permission from Nicola’s “incredibly close” family before posting.
She said Nicola’s sister Louise Cunningham is “pretty much living” with her sibling’s partner Paul Ansell and the couple’s daughters as the search for their mum goes into a tenth day.
Describing the impact on Paul she wrote: “We can see the hurt and pain and can see how much he’s struggling to hold back the tears. He’s is completely focusing on his girls because if he even stops to think about anything else, he will lose it and he doesn’t want to worry his girls even more than they already are.”
Tilly said she been “shocked and appalled” at coverage of her friend’s disappearance, and listed points she believes the public should know.
She wrote:
- Paul and Nikki both mostly work from home which is why he was at home that day. They have CCTV and there is a reason why Paul has never been a suspect. Family and friends need these accusations to stop immediately. The fact that I’ve had to write this is disgusting to be honest
- They both do this walk regularly and Paul is very well known in the community and very well recognised
- The dog never has her harness on for a chunk of that walk, it’s removed at the gate of the top field and then put back on at the gate when they leave
- They very rarely take the ball out for walks with willow now because she is very very protective over the ball and haven’t done for a while
- Nikki quite often would put her phone on loud speaker when talking
- The dog was found very close to the bench and the harness. The harness was found on the floor not on the bench
- Nikki is an incredibly strong swimmer
- Nikki drove to the school and then left her car there and walked to the river
- The dog was dry when found
- The dog has since been back
- There’s CCTV at the back of the caravan park. The only camera that isn’t working is the one that would have seen everything
She added: “What her family need right now is as much positivity as possible please.”
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Speaking to the Sunday Times, Superintendent Riley said her officers had not found any proof that Nicola had fallen in the river – but continue to believe that is the most likely reason for her disappearance.
She said there were no scuff marks on the ground close to where her phone was found – but said she would not necessarily expect them to be.
“If it is sheer and you lose your footing, you might not have any marks left on the grass,” Ms Riley said.
She added that there is nothing to support third-party involvement.
The police superintendent told the newspaper: “When you triangulate all the witnesses, the CCTV, the digital and the telephone, the whole picture, it produces such a tiny window for criminal involvement that it becomes highly unlikely.”
On Friday Nicola’s sister cast doubt on the police theory, saying there was “no evidence whatsoever” to support it, and called on the public to keep an open mind.
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Lancashire Police)
Ms Riley said police haven’t ruled anything out.
Close friend Ms Gibbons, 33, said she had met with police yesterday, telling the Sunday Times: “We consider the accident theory to be just that — a theory. We are not willing at this stage to accept it as a conclusion.”
She told Sky News: “You go from being hopeful to heartbroken, and just trying to be strong, because all we want is to find her for her girls and for (Nicola’s partner) Paul.”
She added: “You want to hold on to the hope that no news is good news.
“But knowing Nikki, we just know that if she could be at home with her girls, we very firmly believe that’s where she would be. Her family are everything.”
More than 100 people including members of Nicola’s family attended morning service at St Michael’s on Wyre church, just a couple of hundred yards from the spot where she was last seen.
Reverend Andrew Wilkinson, who has been at the church for more than 20 years, said: “We have been making a special effort to keep the church open.
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James Maloney/Lancs Live)
“On Friday evening a little bit of normal life continued for the sake of the children which was the local school disco.
“The girls were there and we opened the church and had tea and coffee and Nicola’s partner Paul and his family came.
“That was very quiet, very private, the kids were all there just doing normal things. That was really important.
“We lit candles in church. We are keeping that hope going and light in the darkness has been our theme today, making sure the family knows they are completely supported and they are not on their own.”
Rev Wilkinson said that Nicola and her family were regular worshippers and helped decorate the church prior to Christmas adding, “they are just a lovely family”.
He said the mood of the congregation was “stoic” but determined to persevere with hope. “People have been saying this doesn’t happen to families like us. It’s a lovely village,” he added.
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Julian Hamilton/Daily Miiror)
“People love moving here and loath to leave. We will not let the darkness overcome us. That seems to be important to the family. They want as much as possible to be done.”
Nicola dropped her two daughters at school and walked her springer spaniel Willow on the morning she vanished.
Willow was found by another dog walker with her lead and harness removed, and she was dry.
On Friday Ms Riley told reporters she believes Nicola put her phone on a bench due to an “issue” with her pet – possibly trying to retrieve a ball.
She was seen by another dog walker at 9.10am – the last known sighting – and police traced records of her mobile phone as it remained on a bench overlooking the river at 9.20am.
The phone was found by a dog walker at around 9.35am, with Willow nearby.
Superintendent Riley told the MailOnline: “I’m not aware of a dog ball being retrieved but it’s possible that a ball could have rolled down the steep bank close to the edge of the water and Ms Bulley was bending down to pick it up.
“What she was wearing could also be a factor.”
In a Facebook post sister Ms Cunningham, urged people to “keep an open mind” as there is “no evidence whatsoever” that the dog walker fell in the river.
“Off the back of the latest Police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it’s just a theory,” she said.
“Everyone needs to keep an open mind as not all CCTV and leads have been investigated fully, the police confirmed the case is far from over.”
Her friend, Emma White, also cast doubt on the police theory, telling Sky News it was based on “limited information”.
“When we are talking about a life we can’t base it on a hypothesis – surely we need this factual evidence,” she said.
“That’s what the family and all of us are holding on to – that we are sadly no further on than last Friday.
“We still have no evidence, and that’s why we’re out together in force. You don’t base life on a hypothesis.”
The police search has been aided by specialists and divers from HM Coastguard, mountain rescue, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service – with sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters deployed.
Last night Lancashire Constabulary appealed for a woman seen on CCTV pushing a pram close to the River Wyre on the morning Nicola vanished.
A few hours later officers confirmed that she had come forward – stressing that she was “very much being treated as a witness”.