Nicola Bulley: ‘No sign of fall’ near river as parents of missing Inskip mother fear she was taken

Ernest and Dot Bulley also spoke of hearing their grandchildren “sobbing their hearts out” after being told “mummy is lost”.

Nicola Bulley, 45, a mortgage advisor, was last seen on Friday morning at around 9.20am while walking her dog alongside the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

She had just dropped off her daughters, aged six and nine, at the local school in the village.

Ms Bulley’s phone was found, apparently still engaged on a work call, on a park bench nearby, along with the harness and lead for her dog, Willow, a springer spaniel.

The dog running loose alerted a member of the public and police were called, but despite a huge search, no trace of Ms Bulley has been found.

Ernest, 73, and Dot, 72, told the Daily Mirror their daughter was in good spirits and her disappearance was totally out of character.

A major search involving a police helicopter, drones, sniffer dogs and specialist divers and equipment has been ongoing for days on the River Wyre near to where Ms Bulley was last seen.

Mr Bulley told the Mirror: “There was no sign of a slip or falling in, so our thought was ‘has somebody got her?’

“I asked the sergeant from Fleetwood a few days ago, ‘Is there any chance of her being taken?’ and she said, ‘I don’t think that’s the case’.

“I said, ‘How can you know that?’ It’s such an isolated area, the only way that has happened is if it was someone who knew her.”

He added: “We just dread to think we will never see her again, if the worst came to the worst and she was never found, how will we deal with that for the rest of our lives.”

Lancashire Police have said they are keeping an “open mind” about what happened, but do not believe Ms Bulley was attacked.

Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, 44, described the situation as “perpetual hell”.

In a statement, her family said: “The girls are desperate to have their mummy back home safe with them and your ongoing efforts have provided comfort to them whilst we await news on Nicola.

“We ask for anyone who thinks they may have any information that may help the police find Nicola to please come forward and help them with their enquiries.”

Superintendent Sally Riley, of Lancashire Police, said: “I must stress at this time that this remains a missing person inquiry and at this time there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.

“We appreciate there is also a great deal of concern in the local community, and we appreciate people want to help.

“However, parts of the riverbank are treacherous, and we would ask that nobody puts themselves in danger and that the police and partner agencies’ efforts to find Nicola are not compromised.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30, or call 999 if they have an immediate sighting.