Nicola Bulley cops hunt for new key witness ‘who walked along river’ where mum-of-two vanished

COPS are hunting a NEW witness who could be the key in cracking the case of missing mum Nicola Bulley.

The dog walker, 45, vanished after dropping her children off at school in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on Friday January 27.

Since then there has been no trace of the mum-of-two, leaving her family in agony.

The search today reached its eighth painstaking day.

Now cops have appealed for another key witness to come forward.

CCTV showed the woman wearing a yellow coat pushing a pram.

A Lancashire Police statement said: “A woman was seen walking on Garstang Road/Blackpool Lane, St Michael’s on the morning of Friday, January 27 pushing a pram.

“She was seen walking from the direction of Allotment Lane towards the Grapes public house at approximately 8.22am and is seen again walking on Allotment Lane towards Garstang Road at 8.41am.

“It is believed that the female in question may have walked along the river path during these times and so detectives want to speak to her and urge her to get in touch

“We are also appealing to anyone who was driving down Blackpool Lane/Garstang Lane on the morning of Friday 27th January between the times of 9am and 10am who has dash cam footage on their vehicles to make contact.”

It comes after cops quizzed another female witness earlier this week.

Police urged the woman dressed in a red coat to get in touch before later confirming she had been identified.

Cops yesterday revealed their “main working hypothesis” was that Nicola had “sadly fallen” into the icy River Wyre.

Police explained they thought she may have plunged in while trying to retrieve her dog Willow’s tennis ball.

They said that if the mum did fall into the water, she may have been weighed down by the “heavy” clothing she was wearing.

What Nicola was wearing was listed – including her pale blue Fitbit.

Her pal Emma White has now said police were working to get the data off the fitness watch.

Emma told The Sun: “The Fitbit had not been synced since Tuesday.

“The police are trying other ways to try to get information from it.”

Speaking this morning, pal Emma also rejected the police’s theory that the missing mum could have fallen into an icy river trying to retrieve her dog’s ball.

Emma said Nicola no longer took a tennis ball on her walks with Willow because the pooch would “pester” her for the toy.