Nicola Bulley’s friends say locals feel ‘unsafe’ as amateur detectives descend on area and hamper police search team

NICOLA Bulley’s friends say locals feel “unsafe” as amateur detectives descend on the area she went missing.

Police also warned the same people were hampering their efforts to find the missing mum.

The disappearance of Nicola has taken the nation and world by storm, with social media being flooded with theories.

But many have even taken to foot around where the 45-year-old vanished.

Now one of the mum-of-two’s pals has said the amateur detectives are actually “doing the complete opposite” of helping find her.

Friend Heather Gibbons said such actions needed to stop as they were also frightening residents in the Lancashire town.

It came as amateur detectives were warned off doing their own searching of an “abandoned house” – which was actually lived in by a “lovely family”.

Heather, who said she was a pal of “Nikki’s”, wrote on Facebook: “Tonight multiple police units are out in St Michaels dealing with people trespassing, not only on this families land but also others.

“We are at the point where people coming to ‘help’ look for Nikki in this way is actually doing the complete opposite.

“You’re taking police time and resources away from the investigation.

“You’re letting speculation take away from the actual facts.

“We are at the point where this type of ‘help’ is making people who live in St Michaels feel unsafe.

“Please don’t let this continue to happen.”

It comes as another pal begged trolls to stop slinging “disgusting” accusations at Nicola‘s partner Paul Anesll.

They said lurid theories have surrounded the chilling case since the mum vanished in St Michael’s on Wyre on January 27.

Friends said they had now been forced to defend Paul, after web sleuths suggested he was involved.

Yesterday, the heartbroken partner visited the site Nicola was last seen.

Police were today seen scouring the sea and coastline – 20 miles away from where the mum vanished.

A new lead also emerged as a “tatty red van” was said to be seen parked close to where Nicola went missing on the day she went missing.

It came as dive expert Peter Faulding said there was video “proof” Nicola did not fall in the river.

Peter claims this means Nicola did not fall in the river as police believe.