Nicola Bulley: Lancashire Police say they have ‘so far not found anything of note’ despite their extensive inquiries into missing mother’s disappearance

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).

An extensive police search was launched following the 45-year-old's disappearance, but no trace of her has been found.

At a press conference on Tuesday (February 7), Superintendent Sally Riley said a team of 40 detectives are working on approximately 500 different lines of inquiry.

More than 700 drivers who travelled through the village of St Michael’s on Wyre around the time the 45-year-old went missing are also being traced.

“Throughout this investigation… we remain fully open to any information that is credible and factual to try and trace Nicola and bring answers for her family but it does remain our belief that Nicola sadly fell into the river and that this is a missing persons inquiry,” Ms Riley, of Lancashire Police, said.

“Any information that comes in that indicates otherwise is being checked out all the time and negated as each inquiry comes up. We’re not closed in any way to any particular line of inquiry and we remain genuinely open to that.

“All these extensive inquiries however have so far not found anything of note.”

The force has been working with the Coastguard, Lancashire Fire and Rescue and underwater search experts Specialist Group International (SGI) to search the river and riverbank using sonar, pole cameras and underwater drones.

Supt Riley added: “As I said on Friday, the river is a complex area to search, it’s not a still water, it’s a fast-flowing moving water that is tidal in parts, and as acknowledged by some of the many national search advisers and experts… this makes it particularly complex.

“We have already discounted particular areas of the river but as they are tidal we have re-searched them to ensure that nothing has been washed back into those searched areas.”

Members of the public were also urged to avoid “distressing” speculation about what may have happened to her.

“We would ask that people in the wider community, particularly on social media and online, do not speculate as to what may have happened to Nicola,” Supt Riley said.

“This is particularly hurtful to her family, to her children, to her partner Paul, to her parents, her sister and her friends because it is not helpful to them, it is distressing and it is distracting for the police inquiry.

“Nor is it helpful if people, particularly if they have come from outside of the area, take it upon themselves to take the law into their own hands by trying to, for example, break into empty property,” Supt Riley continued.

“They may mean well, they may want to help. But they can help in thinking back if they were in the area to what information they may have of relevance to the police and holding the family in their thoughts.

“But we will not tolerate online abuse of anyone, including innocent witnesses, members of the family and friends, of local businesses, or of criminal damage or burglary. We will be taking a strong line on that, as you would expect.”

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.