Tag: bulley
Nicola Bulley: Moment passerby points out spot where a body was found in river in hunt for missing mum-of-two
THIS is the moment a passerby pointed out the spot where a body was found near where Nicola Bulley vanished to cops.
The man can be seen directing officers to the area in the reeds on the banks of the River Wyre, Lancashire, less than a mile from where the mum-of-two was last seen.
A passer by pointed out the spot where the body was found to police[/caption]
Nicola has been missing since January 27[/caption]
Cops confirmed that they had recovered a body from the river this morning.
A witness told The Mirror that the man who found the body had told police: “It was a body. It is down there. It was a body of a woman. There is definitely a body down there.”
The witness said: “I noticed a man and a woman and two police officers on the embankment.
“I heard the man talking to police about something in the undergrowth.
“Police cars were flying down the road with the blues and twos going. A police officer pulled up a few minutes later and got his drone out.
“Five minutes later the helicopter arrived. Officers asked to me get out so I moved 200 yards down the road.
“I could still clearly see the man pointing at the riverbank. Then more police cars raced down with the blues and twos going. They cleared the entire road.”
They have so far been unable to determine whether it is the 45-year-old, but a formal identification process in underway.
The death is currently being treated as “unexplained”.
In a statement, Lancashire Police said: “We were called today at 11.36am to reports of a body in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road.
“An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body.
“No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time.
“Procedures to identify the body are ongoing. We are currently treating the death as unexplained.
“Nicola’s family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected.”
The tragic discovery comes after police confirmed Nicola was being treated as a high risk missing person when she disappeared.
Cops revealed Nicola had “vulnerabilities” at the time she went missing they were made aware of by partner Paul Ansell and her family.
These included “significant issues with alcohol” in the past that were brought on by her “ongoing struggles with the menopause”.
It comes as:
- Cops found a body in the river near where Nicola went missing
- Police confirmed the death was being treated as “unexplained”
- Nicola’s partner spoke of his “agony” at the news, while family members were ‘heartbroken’.
- Paul Ansell revealed how the family were coping with the news.
- Dive expert Peter Faulding broke his silence to send support to her loved ones
- Mr Faulding insisted he did not give the family “false hope”
- A pal of Nicola’s revealed the hell of keeping the missing mum’s daughters in the dark
- Heartless trolls hacked the social media of Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell
- Read more on Nicola’s disappearance here
Nicola’s struggles had resurfaced over recent months, police confirmed.
A statement added: “This caused some real challenges for Paul and the family.
“As a result of those issues, a response car staffed by both police and health professionals attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home address on January 10th.
“No one has been arrested in relation to this incident, but it is being investigated.”
Officers have defended their decision to release the personal information after being slammed by MPs and former cops.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has ordered the force to explain why the details were revealed and police have now referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
They released a statement from Nicola’s family begging for the public to “focus on finding her”.
It read: “The police know the truth about Nikki and now the public need to focus on finding her.
“Due to the peri menopause Nikki suffered with significant side effects such as brain fog, restless sleep and was taking HRT to help but this was giving her intense headaches which caused Nikki to stop taking the HRT thinking that may have helped her but only ended up causing this crisis.”
Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith reiterated this week that the police’s “main working hypothesis” was that she fell in the river.
But she revealed two other theories for her disappearance – Nicola leaving the area voluntarily and third party involvement.
Officers had moved their search for the mum 20 miles away to the coast after believing Nicola could have been carried out to sea.
Last Friday, Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell told Channel 5’s Dan Walker that “something happened that day” as people do just “vanish into thin air”.
He also spoke of his torment at her disappearance two weeks after she was last seen.
On Vanished: What happened to Nicola Bulley?, Paul said: “It just doesn’t feel real. I feel like I’m in the Truman show.
“Like, I honestly believe I’m going to wake up at any moment…how are we even in this? We are good people.”
Paul also said he feels “anger, loads of frustration, confusion, disbelief, surrealism” as the family goes through “unprecedented hell”.
Officers previously released a timeline of the missing mum’s final movements before she disappeared.
Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell said he felt ‘agony’ at the news[/caption]
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Residents in village where Nicola Bulley vanished forced to hire private security
RESIDENTS in the village where Nicola Bulley vanished have been forced to draft in a private security company.
Police have pretty much cleared out of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancs, as they search further downstream.
Armchair detectives are swarming the area instead and worried locals are paying for their own protection.
Wyre council leader Michael Vincent said: “Residents have been watching TV in their living rooms and people have come up to their windows, peering in, trying the doors.
“It’s been terrifying for them.”
This came as dog walker who found Nicola Bulley’s phone spoke yesterday for the first time since the discovery — and says he immediately felt: “This is not right.”
Nicola, 45, was last seen three weeks ago yesterday walking her dog after dropping her two daughters off at school in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancs.
A local pensioner, known only as Ron, who initially found her abandoned mobile on a bench by the River Wyre, yesterday revisited the scene.
He told how he had previously seen Nicola and her partner Paul Ansell walking their dog Willow in the area.
He added of the three-week-old case, which has seen Lancashire Police embroiled in controversy: “Each day something new comes out doesn’t it?”
Nicola Bulley: Home secretary concerned by health disclosures
Nicola Bulley ‘painted in unfair light’ by cops who ‘shared her personal struggles to shift focus’, friend says
A FRIEND of Nicola Bulley has said that the missing mum has been ‘painted unfairly’ after cops shared her personal struggles.
The pal, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that police revealed that Nicola struggled with “issues with alcohol” in order to “shift the focus” away from their own shortcomings.
They urged detectives to focus on the areas near where Nicola disappeared that are not covered by CCTV[/caption]
Cops were even forced to explain to the Home Secretary why they disclosed the mum-of-two’s struggles with alcohol[/caption]
They told The Mirror: “I feel angry for Nikki. She’s a beautiful, kind, loving person. One of the best kind of friends you could wish for.
“This has painted her in an unfair light. I think the police have done this to shift the focus onto this rather than on them and their lack of progress.”
They also criticised detectives’ current theory that Nicola fell into the River Wyre while out walking.
The fuming friend added: “I think they want people to buy into their theory that she went into the river. I do fear that the focus will be on this now rather than trying to find Nikki.
“We really need to focus on finding out what has happened and where she has gone. Focus needs to be given to the areas not covered by CCTV and following up on those dash cams.”
They also had choice words for amateur sleuths who have tried to join the search, raging: “I think the TikTokers are taking the police away from what they need to be doing and wasting valuable resources.”
In a statement February 15, Lancashire Police revealed that Nicola had been categorised as a high risk missing person due to her “vulnerabilities”.
They explained that these included “significant issues with alcohol” brought about by her struggles with the menopause.
They also revealed that officers had attended her family home just weeks before her disappearance and that the force had referred itself to the police watchdog over the contact.
It comes as investigators have faced huge backlash for sharing details that could “destroy” Nicola’s reputation.
Broadcaster Fern Britton, 65, said in a tweet: “I am uncomfortable with the latest news suggesting that Nicola Bulley has an issue with alcohol and menopause.
“The undertone is that she maybe ‘a bit unstable’ or perhaps even ‘not in her right mind’.
“Too easy to write a woman off like this. What lies behind it?”
It comes as…
- Cops reveal ‘significant issues’ with alcohol & menopause had caused partner Paul Ansell ‘real challenges’
- Police say they’re still probing ‘incident’ that saw police called to mum’s home before she vanished
- An influencer has been arrested and fined after joining the search
- Follow our blog for the latest news
Labour MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy also questioned the cops’ decision to publicly disclose the private information, describing it as “deeply troubling”.
Cops were even called in to explain their decision to the Home Secretary amid the uproar.
Meanwhile, Nicola’s family recently released a statement in which they urged her to reach out and revealed their hope that she is still alive.
Nicola has been missing since January 27.
She vanished while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith confirmed that the force’s “main working hypothesis” remains that Nicola fell in the river.
But she revealed two other theories for her disappearance – Nicola leaving the area voluntarily and third party involvement.
DS Smith said: “There is not a single piece of information or evidence to suggest there is any third-party involvement.”
There is also nothing to suggest Nicola left the field voluntarily.
Asked if she hoped to find her alive, DS Smith said: “I hope with all my heart that we find Nicola Bulley alive more than anything.”
However, cops have faced criticism for Nicola’s loved ones, as well as external experts, for leaning too hard on their initial theory.
Underwater search expert Peter Faulding recently told TalkTV that his entire approach to the hunt for Nicola would have been different if he had known she was high risk.
Mr Faulding, who had been helping Lancashire Police with the search effort, slammed cops for not sharing enough information with his team.
Lancashire Police have referred themselves to the police watchdog over their handling of the case[/caption]
Her loved ones, including partner Paul Ansell, have disputed this idea[/caption]