Family appeals for return of missing Nicola Bulley as witness is traced
Desperate family members of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley said they would do whatever they could to get her back when police revealed they had tracked down a potential witness.
The mother of two, 45, a mortgage adviser from Inskip, Lancs, has now been missing for seven days after disappearing while walking her dog after dropping her daughters, ages six and nine, at school last Friday morning.
Her mobile phone and the leash and harness for her dog, Springer Spaniel Willow, were found on a bench near the River Wyre at St Michael’s on Wyre in the Lancashire countryside.
Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, told Sky News: “Something must have been overlooked.
“Someone has to know something.
“People don’t just vanish into thin air.”
Her tearful father, Ernie Bulley, said Nicola’s young daughters still believe it’s “only a matter of time” before their mother comes home.
He told Sky: “There’s two little kids waiting for their mum to come back and obviously we want them back too but if Nicola’s out there looking at this then we just want to say, ‘Come on go home, contact the police, contact ourselves and we just want you back.
“And they know mom is missing, but they know she’ll be coming home and everyone’s looking for her, so it’s only a matter of time before they think about her going through that door. “
On Thursday Lancashire Police said a potential witness, a dog walker wearing a red coat near where Ms Bulley was last seen, has now been traced.
Meanwhile, police divers with special equipment were seen searching the River Wyre below, where Ms Bulley’s items were found on the bank.
Mr Bulley also said he would “do whatever it takes” to find his missing daughter as the family once again appealed for public help.
Ms Cunningham added: “There has to be someone who knows something and all we ask is, no matter how small or large, if you remember anything that doesn’t seem right please contact police.
“Report and get my sister back.”
Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell said earlier this week the family is living in “eternal hell”.
Police say Ms Bulley was last seen walking her dog at 9.10am last Friday and she had logged in to a call from the work team which ended at 9.30am while she was still logged in.
Ms Bulley and her family are originally from Essex but moved to Lancashire around 25 years ago.
Lancashire Police said they do not believe a crime had been committed and are treating the incident as a missing person’s investigation.
