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TRAGIC FIND
Police searching for missing Nicola Bulley, 45, find body less than a mile from where mum-of-two vanished 23 days ago
POLICE searching for missing mum Nicola Bulley have found a body less than a mile from where she vanished 23 days ago.
Nicola, 45, was last seen in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, at around 9.15am on January 27.
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Her disappearance after her mobile was found on a bench still connected to a work conference call.
Nicola's pet springer spaniel Willow was also found - but there was no trace still of the mum of two.
Police searching for Nicola today confirmed a body had been found less than a mile from where she was last seen.
They said no formal identification has been carried out so are unable to say whether the remains belong to the mum-of-two.
Read more on Nicola Bulley
The force said in a statement: "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 on-going. We are currently treating the death as unexplained.
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"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."
Officers today closed off an area less than a mile from where Nicola was last seen after a tip-off from two dog walkers.
It comes as:
- Police confirmed the death in the river was being treated as “unexplained”
- 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
Divers were seen entering the water after two police cars were raced to the scene this morning.
A police helicopter circled above as a man and woman were seen pointing to the spot where a new search was launched.
The search area spans along Rawcliffe Road as well as nearby footpaths.
The tragic discovery comes after police confirmed Nicola was treated as a high risk missing person when she disappeared.
The force 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".
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 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."
The family also reached out directly to Nicola in the heartbreaking statement.
They said: "Nikki, we hope you are reading this and know that we love you so much and your girls want a cuddle.
"We all need you home."
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.
Timeline of Nicola's disappearance
January 27:
8.26am- Nicola leaves her home address with her children
8.40am- The mum drops the children off at school and has a brief conversation with another parent.
8.43am – Nicola walked along the path by the River Wyre towards the gate/bench into the lower field, having dropped her children off at school
8:47am (approximately) - A dog-walker – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her walking around the lower field with her dog. Their two dogs interacted briefly before the witness left the field via the river path
8.53am – She sent an email to her boss
8.59 am- Nicola sent message to a friend
9.01am – She logged into a Teams call
9.10am (approximately) – A witness – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her on the upper field walking her dog, Willow. Work is ongoing today to establish exactly what time this was.
9.20- Her phone was back in the area of the bench
9.30am – The Teams call ended but Nicola stayed logged on
9.33am (approximately) – Nicola’s mobile phone and Willow were found at a bench by the river by another dog-walker.
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 began her walk along the towpath to the River Wyre at 8.43am after dropping her two children off at school.
Police say around seven minutes later, a dog walker who knows Nicola saw her walking around the lower field with her springer spaniel Willow.
The witness said their two dogs interacted briefly before she left Nicola via the river path.
At 8.53am, the mum sent an email to her boss at Exclusively Mortgages.
She then logged into a Teams call at 9.01am and was seen around nine minutes later on the upper field walking Willow.
Police say at 9.30am, the work call ended but Nicola stayed logged on.
At around 9.35am, the mobile and Willow were found at a bench by the river but there was no sign of Nicola.
An extensive search was launched to find the mum-of-two, involving police, firefighters, mountain rescue, underwater teams and the local community.
Officers scoured wooded areas, ditches, water margins and the grounds of an abandoned house.
A specialist search was also launched by dive expert Peter Faulding, who used £50,000 sonar equipment to scour the water.
He later pulled out of the hunt, saying he did not believe Nicola was in the river as she could have "stood up" if she fell in.
Nicola's partner Paul and sister Louise Cunningham also expressed their doubts at the police hypothesis.
Speaking after the tragic find today, Peter tweeted: "Our thoughts are with Nicola's family and friends at this difficult time. #nicolabulley"
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