Nicola Bulley’s close friend rallies around the missing mother

A close friend of Nicola Bulley has spoken of her fury at what she calls the missing mother’s false portrayal as an ‘unfit’ parent.

Nadia Fell said the police decision to reveal Ms Bulley’s health struggles had triggered cruel suggestions that her daughters, who are aged six and nine, ‘aren’t safe around her’.

In a spirited defence of the 45-year-old mortgage adviser, who vanished while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, last month, Ms Fell said: ‘The rumours are starting that Nikki is an unfit mum… I will not hear it. Nikki is the most amazing mum ever. Those girls are her world.’

Ms Bulley’s youngest child is best friends with one of 39-year-old Ms Fell’s three daughters. ‘Many’s the time my daughter has spent time with Nikki without me and I’ve trusted her without question, why wouldn’t I?’ she said.

Last week, Lancashire Police said it would review its decision to reveal that Ms Bulley had experienced problems with alcohol and the menopause.

The Mail on Sunday understands that it was taken at a high level, and was not made by the senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith, who had previously stated only that Ms Bulley had ‘specific vulnerabilities’.

Ms Fell said: ‘I’ve never seen any red flags. Nikki is a normal mum. We all have ups and downs and being a mum is hard. Every day is a lesson. The menopause can be really tough.’

And she urged online critics: ‘Please just stop.’ Ms Fell also recalled looking after Ms Bulley’s six-year-old daughter on the Sunday after her mum went missing.

‘She didn’t know what was going on at that point, everyone was like, “Just let’s not tell her,” ’ she said.

‘Everyone was holding on to a little bit of hope. I was sitting there thinking “Your world is soon going to fall apart” and it was just horrible.’

Of her own daughter, also six, Ms Fell added: ‘She understands but doesn’t understand at the same time. Some people aren’t having the news on and the television on when the kids are around, but I’m not hiding anything from her. If there was something really gruesome on the TV, I wouldn’t have it on because then you get questions about what the words mean and its really difficult. The basic line is that she’s missing, she’s lost and she [her daughter] understands those words.

‘It’s hard for her seeing Nikki’s daughter so upset though.

‘Nikki is lovely. Anything that needed doing for the school – PTA stuff – she was always there for it.’

Lancashire Police also revealed last week that on January 10 police officers and health professionals visited Ms Bulley at home for a ‘concern for welfare’ check.

‘No one has been arrested, but it is being investigated,’ the force said at the time.

Neighbours of Ms Bulley and her partner Paul Ansell, 44, in the village of Inskip near St Michael’s said they never heard or saw anything that gave cause for concern.

One said: ‘I went to Nikki’s house recently to pick up a mattress she advertised on a local WhatsApp group and she was lovely.’

Another said: ‘She didn’t look vulnerable… it’s a very quiet neighbourhood and if there were arguments or shouting people would hear.’

Police, meanwhile, are being urged by commercial fishermen in the port of Fleetwood to conduct an extensive search of marshland on both sides of the River Wyre as it approaches Morecambe Bay. John Worthington, 56, who has fished the waters for decades, thought his expert knowledge might be sought by police.

‘I haven’t heard from anyone but I’d tell them to search in the marshland,’ he said. ‘There are many, many tidal gulleys and they can fill to 6ft deep.’

Despite repeated police warnings, there was an increase yesterday in the number of visitors to the area where Ms Bulley was last seen. Police officers were seen retracing the route that Nicola would have taken and speaking to walkers.