Speculation about what happened to Nicola is causing ‘hurt and distress’
A friend of Nicola Bulley – who vanished while walking her dog nine days ago – has shared 11 facts she says “set the record straight” about her disappearance amid rampant speculation about what happened to the mum-of-two.
The 45-year-old was last seen at 9.10am on 27 January while walking 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 a short time later. Police are now trying to account for a missing 10-minute period.
On Saturday, Nicola’s friend, Tilly Ann, shared a Facebook post urging people to stop speculating about the mortgage broker’s disappearance due to the hurt it was causing Nicola’s family.
Police said Friday that their “main working hypothesis” was that Nicola has “accidentally” fallen into the River Wyre, something her sister, Louise Cunningham later stressed “there was no evidence whatsoever” to back up. On Saturday, police conceded there was “no evidence of a slip or a fall”.
In the post Tilly shared how the family and Nicola’s partner of 12-years, Paul Ansell, are incredibly close despite doing separate media interviews.
Tilly’s 11 points are:
1 – Nicola and Paul both mostly work from home which is why he was at home that day and the house has CCTV.
2 – They both do this walk regularly and Paul is very well known in the community and very well recognised.
3 – The dog, Willow, never has her harness on for a chunk of that walk, it’s removed at the gate of the top field and then put back on at the gate when they leave.
4 – They very rarely take the ball out for walks with Willow and haven’t done for a while because she is protective over the ball.
5 – Nicola would often put her phone on loudspeaker when talking.
6 – The dog was found very close to both the bench and the harness. The harness was found on the floor not on the bench.
7 – Nicola is an incredibly strong swimmer.
8 – She drove to the school to drop her two daughters off and then left her car there and walked to the river.
9 – The dog was dry when found.
10 – The dog has since been back.
11 – There’s CCTV at the back of the caravan park. The only camera that isn’t working is the one that would have seen everything.
Tilly’s comments came as a forensic expert branded the search for Nicola a “mess” and suggested key evidence may have been missed.
Underwater forensics expert Peter Faulding criticised the Lancashire force for not closing off the area where Nicola disappeared, saying they were too quick to dismiss the possibility there were suspicious circumstances involved in her disappearance.
Faulding told MailOnline: “It should have been sealed off immediately as a potential crime scene.
“That area is critical. Critical forensics could have been found in that location.”
He said said “loads” of people would have now trampled through the area, contaminating the scene, and added: “I don’t know how the police can say there’s no evidence of third-party involvement in this disappearance when they haven’t actually checked.
“I think this is a mess, really.”
Faulding also said the equipment police are using to search for Nicola’s is low-tech and suggested it was “very unlikely they would be able to find a body with it.”
Related links:
- Nicola Bulley bombshell as forensic expert brands investigation ‘a mess’
- Nicola Bulley cops probe riddle of missing dog ball amid unanswered questions
- Nicola Bulley’s sister says there is ‘no evidence whatsoever’ she fell in river
- Police believe they know what happened to Nicola Bulley
- Criminologist details 5 possible theories behind Nicola Bulley’s disappearance
- Missing mum Nicola Bulley’s final text before ‘vanishing into thin air’
- Nicola Bulley: Police release image of new witness they want to speak to in search for missing mum
- Missing mum vanished on footpath leaving dog behind and phone still connected to work call
