Nicola Bulley cops probe riddle of missing dog ball amid unanswered questions

'It is possible that there may have been an issue with the dog that led her to the water's edge'

Nicola Bulley may have been trying to retrieve her dog's ball when she fell into the River Wyre in a "freak accident", with the item still unaccounted for eight days after the mum-of-two went missing. At a press conference Friday, police said their "main working hypothesis" is that the 45-year-old fell into the river, perhaps after an "issue" with her dog, a cocker spaniel called Willow. The Mortgage broker was last seen at 9.10am while walking Willow in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, having earlier dropped her daughters, aged six and nine, at school. Her phone, still connected to a work call, and the dogs lead and harness were found on a bench. Superintendent Sally Riley said: "Our main working hypothesis therefore is Nicola has sadly fallen into the river, that there is no third party or criminal involvement and this is not suspicious." "This is particularly important because speculation otherwise can be really distressing for the family and for Nicola's children." Nicola could swim, but may have been weighed down by her heavy clothes. She was wearing two heavy jackets and wellington boots. Riley said: "It is possible that there may have been an issue with the dog that led her to the water's edge. "We assume the dog didn't enter the river but we don't know why Nicola may have if she did." However, Riley made clear that this is speculation. In a Facebook page on Friday, Nicola's sister, Louise Cunningham, also stressed that this was "just a theory" saying there was "no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river". Police said Willow's ball is still missing as they try and account for a "lost" ten minutes around time Nicola vanished. Willow wasn't wearing a harness, or connected to a lead when found by a passer-by, and was "bone dry". In social media images posted to fitness app Strava, a yellow ball can be seen in Willow’s mouth, suggesting Nicola off played fetch with her pet. Riley said there may have been “an issue” with the dog that led her to the water’s edge and may have put down her phone to deal with the problem momentarily, and fallen in. The officer added: “I’m not aware of a dog ball being retrieved but it’s possible a ball could have rolled down the steep bank close to the water and Ms Bulley was bending down to pick it up. “What she was wearing could also be a factor. “Her clothing was heavy, particularly on someone of slight build and only 5ft 3in. “We assume the dog didn’t get into the river, but we don’t know why Nicola may have if she did.” Riley added: “It’s such a strange and perplexing case.” Riley said based on the work police had done so far, "we are now as confident as we can be that Nicola has not left the field where she was last seen and our working hypothesis is that she has fallen into the river for some reason". “There is no evidence whatsoever that there is anything suspicious about her disappearance or any third-party involvement in her going missing.” The officer ruled out Nicola having been snatched or leaving on foot because all exit gates were locked or covered by CCTV. Earlier, Nicola’s heartbroken partner Paul Ansell, 44, revealed that he “cannot get his head around” how his partner of 12 years had disappeared. He said: “It’s like she’s vanished into thin air.” On Friday, it emerged Nicola sent a text to a friend booking a playdate at 8.57am — just before logging on to a work Teams call while she walked along the river. The text led to suggestions that it was further evidence Nicola had no intention of voluntarily disappearing. “You would not have done that if you were going to get up and go missing.” Police said the search of the River Wyre and area around St Michael’s on Wyre will continue over the weekend. Search teams, underwater drones, and tidal experts are hunting along a ten-mile stretch of water upstream and to the Irish Sea. Nicola's partner, Paul Ansell, spoke out on Friday saying his "whole focus is the two girls, staying as strong as I can for them". https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1621466024427020288   On Thursday, Nicola's sister, Louise Cunningham made a heartfelt plea, saying she needed to "get my sister back". "Something has got to have been missed. Somebody must know something. People don't just vanish into thin air. "There has got to be somebody who knows something and all we are asking is, no matter how small or big, if there is anything you remember that doesn't seem right, then please reach out to the police. Get in touch and get my sister back." Cunningham said her family felt they were "stuck in a nightmare". Nicola's dad, Ernie Bulley added: "There are two young children there waiting for their mummy to come back and we want her back obviously also, but if Nicola is out there, if she's watching this, then all we'd like to say is: 'Come home, contact the police, contact ourselves and we just want you back.' "And they know that mummy's missing but they know that she's going to be coming home and everyone is looking for her, so it's only a matter of time, that they're thinking in their minds that she's going to walk through that door." Related links:

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• Missing mum Nicola Bulley's final text before 'vanishing into thin air'
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