Family of Nicola Bulley say ‘people don’t just vanish into thin air’ as they make new appeal for information

Nicola Bulley, from Inskip, was last seen on a towpath by the River Wyre off Garstang Road at around 9.15am on Friday (January 27).

She had just dropped off two her daughters, aged six and nine, at the local school in the village prior to the walk.

The mother-of-two's phone was later discovered on a bench still connected to a work call, with her springer spaniel also found running loose.

Almost a week later on Thursday (February 2), police cordoned off the bench as specialist divers returned to search the river again.

Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, told Sky News: “Something has got to have been missed.

“Somebody must know something.

“People don’t just vanish into thin air.”

Her tearful father Ernie Bulley said Nicola’s young daughters still believed it is “only a matter of time” before their mother comes home.

He told Sky: “There are two young children there waiting for their mummy to come back and we want her back obviously also, but if Nicola is out there, if she’s watching this, then all we’d like to say is ‘come home, contact the police, contact ourselves and we just want you back’.

“And they know that mummy’s missing but they know that she’s going to be coming home and everyone is looking for her so it’s only a matter of time, that they’re thinking in their minds, that she’s going to walk through that door.”

Lancashire Police on Thursday said a potential witness, a dog walker wearing a red coat close to where Ms Bulley was last seen, had been traced.

Meanwhile police divers using specialist equipment were seen searching the River Wyre below where Ms Bulley’s items were found on the bench.

Mr Bulley also said he would “do anything” to find his missing daughter as the family again appealed for public help.

Ms Cunningham added: “There has got to be somebody who knows something and all we are asking is, no matter how small or big, if there is anything you remember that doesn’t seem right then please reach out to the police.

“Get in touch and get my sister back.”

Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell said earlier this week the family were living in “perpetual hell”.

Police say Ms Bulley was last seen at 9.10am last Friday, while walking her dog and she had logged on to a work Teams call, which ended at 9.30am with her still logged on.

Ms Bulley and her family are originally from Essex but moved to Lancashire around 25 years ago.

Detectives said they do not believe any crime has been committed and are treating the incident as a missing person inquiry.

“We appreciate that there are unanswered questions about what has happened to Nicola, but would urge people not to speculate or spread false rumours,” a spokesman for Lancashire Police said.

Anybody who has seen Nicola, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30.

For immediate sightings call 999.