INTO THIN AIR
Morning Nicola Bulley vanished was ‘different’ to others, partner Paul Ansell says as he reveals when panic set in
NICOLA Bulley's partner Paul Ansell says that the morning of the mum's disappearance had already felt "different" before she vanished.
Paul sat down with Channel 5's Dan Walker for an exclusive interview last night.
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Nicola has been missing since January 27, when she vanished while walking her dog Willow in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire.
Police divers and outside experts have searched the river extensively over the past two weeks, without success.
In the interview, Walker asked Nicola's distraught partner Paul whether the morning of January 27 "was a normal one".
And Paul replied that everything was normal apart from one key difference in their routine.
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The dad-of-two said: "Yeah totally normal, the only difference that morning was, you know usually, when you’ve got children, getting up on a school day.
"You probably know yourself is just mayhem isn’t it. Absolute carnage.
It comes as...
- Nicola's partner Paul Ansell says he believes a local is responsible for her disappearance.
- Heartbroken Paul begs Nicola Bulley to "just come home" in an emotional message
- Cops confirm they are hunting the owner of a red van seen in the area where the mum vanished
- Paul Ansell reveals a major twist over how his partner's phone was found
- Nicola Bulley's children beg to find their mum as search continues into 14th day
- Her partner Paul says that he expected to be a suspect in her disappearance
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"And you know, we're always up a little bit too late sometimes and trying to get them to have their breakfast and sort all that out and then do their hair."
He added how the fateful day of her disappearance was unusually peaceful with no chaotic running around.
Paul continued: "The only difference on that morning two weeks ago was that there wasn't a lot of rushing. I came down and a lot of stuff was already done. "
"The girls were having their breakfast and everything was pretty much ready to go. I came down, Nikki went upstairs to get ready.
"The routine is basically if Nikki is taking the girls and Willow, when I hear her come down, I'll get them in the car.
"It’s a well-oiled machine normally. And if it's my job usually the roles were reversed."
'PANIC'
A distraught Paul then revealed the moment when panic set in upon realising Nicola was gone.
Walker asked the heartbroken partner " When did it feel, where’s Nikki? At what point did that kick in?"
Paul replied: "I just went in the house, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea, went into the living room, and thought I’ve got on an hour now to sort of chill and get myself ready for the day.
"Which is what I did. So she's usually back, like, quarter to 10, average 10 o'clock. At a push. So I’d gone up into the office at 10.
"Thinking that she’d be back in a minute, I was just going through some emails and stuff, setting my day up.
"It got to say quarter past 10, and that’s when I thought she was later than usual, but I still wasn't particularly worried because she has come back at quarter past 20 sometimes.
"And again, there was no answer. I tried the mobile again and no answer.
"Now I sort of started to get a bit bit panicky I think. So that's when I thought I'm gonna have to go down there and see if she’s alright.
"See if I can see the car or you know, see what's going on. But I still expected that I’d just get there and you know there she is.
"I just thought basically I'm gonna go out, find her, come home do a bit of work."
The distraught dad also begged Nicola to "just come home" in an emotional plea on television.
In the interview, Paul also revealed how he expected to be a suspect in the case.
Meanwhile he also revealed he believes a local is responsible for Nicola's disappearance.
It comes after the search was yesterday widened up to 20 miles away from where the 45-year-old vanished.
A new lead also came to light regarding a "shabby red van" that was in the area where Nicola was last spotted at the time.
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However, search expert Peter Faulding, whose team was involved in the hunt until recently, has thrown doubt on the cops' current theory.
He has said that he would "be very surprised" if Nicola had fallen into the river and suggested that she "may never be found".
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