Nicola Bulley: police reject suspicions of crime in missing mum case and still believe she fell in river

Police are currently investigating 500 lines of inquiry in the search for Nicola Bulley
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Police investigating the disappearance of Nicola Bulley have rejected suggestions that the missing mum could have been a victim of crime.

Superintendent Sally Riley, of Lancashire Police, said “every single” potential suspicion or criminal suggestion that had come in, had been looked at by detectives and discounted.

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It comes after police said on Tuesday (7 February) that approximately 500 different lines of inquiry to find the mum-of-two are being “exhausted”. More than 700 drivers who travelled through the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire around the time the 45-year-old went missing at 9.10am on 27 January are also being traced.

Ms Riley said it is still the belief of Lancashire Police that the mum-of-two fell in the River Wyre, despite claims from a forensic search expert that a third party may be involved in her disappearance.

Family and friends of Ms Bulley have questioned the theory that she fell into the water while walking her dog, as specialist underwater divers search a stretch of river where police think she may have fallen in.

Police have rejected suggestions the missing mum could have been a victim of crime (Photo: PA)Police have rejected suggestions the missing mum could have been a victim of crime (Photo: PA)
Police have rejected suggestions the missing mum could have been a victim of crime (Photo: PA)

Peter Faulding, a private search expert sometimes used by police, has said if his team cannot locate Ms Bulley in the river then she is not there and he would not rule out “third-party involvement” in her disappearance.

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But Ms Riley told reporters at a press conference in the village that Mr Faulding is not included in “all the investigation detail” stating: “Our search has not found Nicola in the river and then a re-search in parts by SGI has found the same. That does not mean… that Nicola has not been in the river.

“In the light of other inquiries being discounted from the investigation so far… clearly our main belief is that Nicola did fall into the river. Clearly Mr Faulding isn’t included within all the investigation detail any more than the members of the public are that I’m briefing through these sorts of press conferences.”

The underwater search team have been concentrating on an area around and downstream from a bench where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was left, still connected to a work call. The lead to her springer spaniel dog, Willow, and its harness, were also left at the bench.

Police divers have previously searched the same area last week amid a huge ongoing hunt for mortgage adviser Ms Bulley. The force says it has ruled out that she left that area of the river and suspect she may have gone into the water after an “issue” with the dog while walking.

Police search teams at the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre (Photo: PA)Police search teams at the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre (Photo: PA)
Police search teams at the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre (Photo: PA)
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Giving an update at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Ms Riley said: “At the moment there are around 500 active pieces of information and lines of inquiry that we’re working on to try and find answers for Nicola’s family.

“This is normal in a missing person inquiry and does not indicate that there is any suspicious element to this story. The inquiry team remains fully open-minded to any information that may indicate where Nicola is or what happened to her.”

She added: “I would like to reassure the community that nothing in this investigation so far, it has been checked out if it has come in suggesting crime, it has been checked and discounted.

“So every single potential third party line of inquiry and potential suspicious or criminal element has been looked at and discounted. It does remain our belief that Nicola sadly fell into the river and that this is a missing persons inquiry.”

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“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.”

Paul Ansell has said in an interview that he will “never lose hope” (Photo: Facebook)Paul Ansell has said in an interview that he will “never lose hope” (Photo: Facebook)
Paul Ansell has said in an interview that he will “never lose hope” (Photo: Facebook)

Public warned ‘not to take law into own hands’

Police officers investigating the case have warned they “will not tolerate” people committing criminal offences by breaking into empty or derelict riverside properties in an attempt to try and find Ms Bulley.

Lancashire Constabulary urged members of the public not to “take the law into their own hands” and not to direct online abuse at people connected to the investigation. Ms Riley said: “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.”

She added: “There are some properties along the riverside which are empty or derelict. Whilst it may be well intentioned that people think that that could be a line of inquiry, I would ask them to desist from doing that. In some cases it may be criminal if they are breaking in and causing damage or committing a burglary.”

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Ms Riley said officers have searched derelict riverside properties with the permission of owners, adding: “Because there is no criminal element yet identified, and we don’t expect there to be in this inquiry, then we’re not starting to go into houses because that’s not where the inquiry is leading us.”

The superintendent went on to urge the public to avoid “distressing” speculation about what might have happened to Ms Bulley as it is “particularly hurtful” to her family. She said: “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.

“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.

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“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.”

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