Nicola Bulley’s disappearance is still being investigated by police as her loved ones fear for her safety. The mother of two went missing last Friday while walking her dog, Willow, in St Michael’s in Wyre, Lancashire. Nicola was logged onto a work call at the time of her disappearance but had her camera and microphone off. Her partner Paul Anstell has described the last week as “perpetual hell” while Nicola’s two daughters are reportedly asking where their “mummy” has gone.
Nicola’s parents are also fearful that somebody “got her”, but Lancashire Police believe there is no sign of foul play and are treating the case as a missing person’s inquiry.
Police are urging those with information to call 101, quoting log 473 of January 27. They also want anyone who believes they have seen Nicola to call 999.
As investigators continue to try and establish what has happened to Nicola, there are questions that remain unanswered that could hold the key to finding her.
1. The last phone call.
It was confirmed by Nicola’s employer, Exclusively Mortgages, that she had logged onto the work call while she was out on the dog walk.
However, she didn’t have her camera or microphone on.
Ben Pociecha, the director of Exclusively Mortgages, said: “It seems as if she was muted and didn’t have her camera on. She was listening in whilst walking her dog.
“There were numerous parties involved in this. A lot of people attended the call.
“The police are investigating the call.”
2. The discovery of Nicola’s dog, Willow.
Nicola’s springer spaniel was found alone and without its harness on.
Nicola previously used the Strava app to share photos of her walks, which show she puts Willow’s harness on for most walks.
But a passer-by found Willow’s lead and harness on the floor.
This witness said: “The dog looked worried so I tied her up and rushed home as I had to go to an appointment.
“I then went and spoke to my daughter-in-law and she immediately knew who the dog was, alerted the woman’s partner and that was it – the police were on it.”
READ MORE: Missing Nicola Bulley’s devastated family fear ‘someone has got her’
3. Nicola’s phone is found.
Nicola’s phone was also found by a passer-by. It was still active when it was picked up, as confirmed by police.
Superintendent Sally Riley from Lancashire Police said: “It was on a meeting call, and that was still live it was connected to the conference call and that hadn’t been terminated.”
4. A potentially key witness.
Police want to speak to a “potentially key witness” who could have been the last person to see Nicola at 9.15 am last Friday.
The man was in the area when Nicola went missing.
His wife told The Times: “In the field, there were about three people, including my husband. He said there was nothing unusual about her and she seemed completely normal.
“I’d often see her and say hello. I always thought she looked very nicely dressed, in her bobble hat and smart Wellington boots.
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“It’s just horrible to know she’s missing.”
Nicola’s dad told The Mirror that his daughter also seemed completely fine just prior to her disappearance.
He told The Mirror: “Her mind was great, we picked the children up the Thursday before she went missing, as we do every Thursday.
“We took them home, Nicola had had a meeting with her boss in Garstang and she said can you stay a bit later because I have an important client coming in on Zoom. We said, ‘No problem’ and stayed.
“She had done her work and she was very upbeat about getting her mortgage sorted.
“I said we better go now and Nicola came to the front door, and I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her and that was the last conversation I had with her.”
5. The abandoned house
Police are searching the area near an abandoned home located across the river from where Willow and Nicola’s phone were found.
A mountain rescue team helped search the grounds of the property but did not look inside.
It has been reported that the owner was there “for some reason” and instead offered to go in and take a “quick look around”.
He then told the search group that Nicola “wasn’t there”.
Nicola has been described as white, 5ft 3ins tall with light-brown shoulder-length hair
She was last seen wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellies with her hair in a ponytail.
Nicola has an Essex accent and links to the Thornton-Cleveleys area near Blackpool
Anybody with information about where she might be is asked to call 101, quoting log 473 of January 27.
