Nicola Bulley’s friends beg cops to explore ‘other avenues’ if they don’t find missing mum in river

PALS of missing mum Nicola Bulley are begging police to “explore other avenues” in their investigation.

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

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Nicola Bulley, 45, who was last seen on the morning of Friday January 27[/caption]

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Cops believe she fell in the river[/caption]

SWNS

Her pals are asking police to look at other posibilities[/caption]

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

Lancashire Police believe Nicola, 45, fell into the river while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre.

Specialist Group International (SGI) today again searched the water for the mum eleven days after she vanished.

But family and friends of Nicola have questioned the police theory that she is in the water.

Today Heather Gibbons spoke on the banks of the River Wyre while, below her, Peter Faulding and his team used a sonar to scan the depths.

She said: “As family and friends, the way we are looking at it is, between Peter and his team and the police, we feel we have got the best of the best on that water and hopefully it will be a completion, one way or the other.

“And if they find nothing, then maybe its time to start looking down other avenues.”

Earlier Mr Faulding told Good Morning Britain detectives investigating the disappearance “have got nothing to go on”.

He added: “I personally think, if I rule this stretch of water our where we are working today, I don’t think she is here.

“I think there’s probably a third party involved.”

Today Mr Faulding and his team made repeated sweeps up and down a section of the river using sonar equipment.

They were concentrating on an area around and downstream from a bench where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was left, still connected to a work call.

The lead to her springer spaniel dog, Willow, and its harness, were also left at the bench.

Police divers have previously searched the same area last week amid a huge ongoing hunt for mortgage adviser Ms Bulley, who lived in the village of Inskip, two miles from the river.

Police say they have ruled out Ms Bulley leaving that area of the river and suspect she may have gone into the water after an “issue” with the dog while walking.

After spending Monday searching “three or four miles” of the river until it grew dark alongside Lancashire Police, Mr Faulding said: “It’s a negative search, no signs of Nicola.”