Lancashire Police have updated the public on their search for missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, 19 days after her disappearance
The 45-year-old disappeared on 27 January after a riverside dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire
Det Supt Becky Smith tells reporters Bulley is a "high-risk" missing person with "specific vulnerabilities" but says she won't go into detail
She says detectives have still found no evidence of a "criminal aspect or third party involvement"
And she says her "main working hypothesis" remains that Bulley went into the River Wyre, but the investigation is ongoing
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson defends his force's investigation, recognising there has been criticism
Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, has said he is "100% convinced" she's not in the river
Lawson says, as things stand, there is no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third party involvement in Bulley's disappearance.
But officers involved in the search are very experienced specialists, which shows the importance and focus the police have given to the investigation, he says.
Lawson thanks the public for all their assistance throughout the investigation
He says dozens of other officers and staff have helped in the investigation too.
"We've involved a range of specialists, both locally, regionally and nationally," he says, adding that experts who are "the best in their field" in the UK have been made available to law enforcement in this investigation.
Lawson's still speaking. He says officers have done an "unprecedented" amount of work since Bulley went missing.
He adds that the "sole focus" of that work has been to "find Nicola, to bring her home to her family, and to give them the answers they so desperately need".
Lawson says a lot of the information they'll share today has already been widely reported.
He says he's aware of extensive media interest, theories and criticism of the police investigation.
To address this, they'll take us through in closer detail what exactly they have done over the last 19 days, he says.
Assistant chief constable Peter Lawson begins the press conference by introducing himself and Supt Smith.
He says Bulley and her family "remain foremost in our thoughts and priorities in the investigation".
Danny Savage
North of England correspondent
Today is the first time we're hearing from Becky Smith, the detective superintendent leading the inquiry.
Next to her is Peter Lawson, the assistant chief constable (ACC) from Lancashire Police.
Expect Spt Smith to talk about the investigation and the ACC to deal with any wider questions about how the force has handled the investigation.
It doesn’t feel as though they are going to deviate from their main theory, but let’s see what they say.
Lancashire Police are about to begin speaking.
Stay with us as we bring you updates and click the play button at the top of this page to watch live.
Danny Savage
North of England correspondent
The lack of any sign of Nicola has led to lots of people filling the vacuum with strange theories.
Police have become frustrated with some of this speculation and behaviour.
An independent search of the river (going over territory already searched by police experts) found no trace of her.
The police are still out searching everyday. Many people find it hard to understand how she was swept down a river which is very shallow in places. If she has been carried into the tidal area, there is a chance she will never be found.
Danny Savage
North of England correspondent
The disappearance of Nicola Bulley has attracted huge public interest.
Her family and friends say they can’t understand how she vanished without anyone seeing or hearing anything.
Police say they are keeping an open mind despite their central belief she fell into the river.
But no information they have had to date has steered them away from this being an accident.
Nick Garnett
Reporting from Lancashire Police HQ
Lancashire Police will use this press conference to allay people’s fears and deal with some of the theories that people have been suggesting could be behind Nicola Bulley's disappearance.
They will outline the scale of the search around the bench where she was last seen.
It has involved counter terrorism officers, police dogs, drones, officers from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, as well as police helicopters.
Surrounding properties and caravans in the area have been searched. The underwater search used cameras, sonar, drones and divers.
Police will say they’ve visited 300 premises, spoken to 300 people, and identified 700 vehicles which drove through the village on the morning Bulley disappeared.
They've also received 50 pries of dashcam footage and 1500 pieces of information.
Image source, .Lancashire Police will hold a press conference, which is expected to begin shortly.
It’s been almost three weeks since Nicola Bulley vanished while on a riverside dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire. Since then there's been growing speculation around her disappearance.
Police may use this press conference to combat disinformation around the investigation. Detectives have previously criticised amateur investigators reportedly swarming the area where Bulley vanished.
We'll bring you the latest developments from the press conference, which you can watch by clicking the 'play' button at the top of this page.
Danny Savage
North of England correspondent
Expect detectives to dismiss some of the theories running in the media about what may have happened.
A handout given to journalists here emphasises the timeline of events and what they’ve been doing. It also shows the land area already searched.
Danny Savage
North of England correspondent
Detectives at Lancashire Police HQ will shortly give more details about the disappearance of Nicola Bulley.
Expect more explanation about where police have searched and information received.
Remember, their main theory is she accidentally fell in the River Wyre.
We'll bring you the latest developments from the press conference, and you can follow our live stream by pressing the play button at the top of this page.
Image source, Emma WhiteIn the lead up to the press conference, let's familiarise ourselves with some of the finer details. Images of Nicola Bulley on the day she went missing were shared with the BBC by one of her friends earlier this month.
Footage from a doorbell camera showed Bulley loading her car outside her home on 27 January before she drove her two children to school and then went for a riverside walk.
She is seen in the footage wearing a long dark coat, leggings and ankle boots with her hair tied in a ponytail. She was last seen by another dog walker at about 09:10 GMT.
Specialist divers have scoured the River Wyre, while hundreds of volunteers joined the search along with mountain rescue, sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters. No trace of her has been found, though.
If you’re new to the Nicola Bulley police investigation, or need a recap, here’s a rundown of what we know so far.
Last movements: After dropping her two young daughters at school in the village of St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, on 27 January, Bulley took her dog Willow for a riverside walk. She was last seen by another dog walker at about 09:10 in a field. About 25 minutes later her phone, still connected to a work call, was found on a bench overlooking the water.
Image source, .Police investigation: Detectives believe Bulley fell into the river and are treating the case as a missing person inquiry. CCTV has helped officers narrow down Bulley’s route, with inquiries currently focused on the river path which leads to Garstang Road (as shown in the map above) – an area not covered by CCTV.
Water theory: Despite being "open-minded" to other possibilities, police have said they believe Bulley fell into the river. Professional divers have cast doubt over the theory, though – as have her family and friends. Following a search of the water by the Specialist Group International (SGI) diving team, its founder said his team was pulling out because he believed Bulley was "categorically not" in the area of river where police believe she fell in.
Nick Garnett
Reporting from Lancashire Police HQ
This will be the first time the officer leading the inquiry into Nicola Bulley’s disappearance has appeared before the cameras and microphones of the media, 20 days after the 45-year-old went missing.
Because it’s being held at Lancashire Police’s headquarters, on the outskirts of Preston, there’s a lot of security in place.
Reporters and camera crews are having their credentials checked three times before they’re allowed into the building.
The news conference is due to start later this morning.
Hello and thanks for joining us as we prepare to hear from Lancashire Police, who are holding a press conference to share the latest about the investigation into the search for Nicola Bulley.
Bulley, 45 and a mother-of-two, vanished on the morning of 27 January while on a riverside walk with her dog in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire.
A major search ensued, with specialist divers scouring the river where police believe she fell, but no trace of her has been found.
The Sun newspaper reported this morning , externalthat a “stained” glove had been found in a field that Bulley walked through, and handed to the police. Officers may be asked about that and much more at today’s presser.
Stay with us for live updates and analysis.