Nicola Bulley: Search for missing mum moves towards sea

There has been no trace of Nicola Bulley since 27 January

The search for missing mum Nicola Bulley has shifted from the river near to where she vanished "further downstream" and out towards the sea.

Ms Bulley, 45, was last seen on a riverside dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire on 27 January.

Police search teams were spotted where the River Wyre empties into the Irish Sea at Morecambe Bay near Knott End.

Meanwhile, officers said they had stopped people filming on social media at houses near where she disappeared.

Lancashire Police said it had issued two dispersal notices, warned others about anti-social behaviour in the area, and officers were looking into "grossly offensive" comments made online.

The search for Nicola Bulley: What we know so far

Ms Bulley had dropped her two daughters, aged six and nine, off at school and then gone on her usual dog walk alongside the river on 27 January.

Her phone, still connected to a Teams call, was found on a bench on a steep riverbank overlooking the water, along with the dog lead and harness on the ground.

Police search teams have extended the search downstream into the estuary and out to the coast

Despite a major search, including divers, drones and a police helicopter, there has been no trace of Ms Bulley since she was last seen at 09:10 GMT.

Police believe she fell in the river, but detectives said they remain "fully open-minded" to any information that indicates where she is or what happened to her.

The River Wyre is about 32 miles (52km) long and the search has now been extended to Morecambe Bay and about 10 miles (16km) downstream to Knott End.

A dinghy with two officers on board could be seen downstream where the River Wyre meets the Irish Sea at Morecambe Bay.

An orange rescue boat was also spotted appearing to do sweeps at the river off Knott End-on-Sea, at the mouth of the bay.

Police search teams were spotted searching the waters of the estuary

The force said the search had moved "further downstream into the area of the river which becomes tidal and then out towards the sea".

A specialist diving team, Specialist Group International (SGI), earlier assisted police in the search of the river at the request of Ms Bulley's family.

The firm's founder Peter Faulding said his team was pulling out because he believed Ms Bulley was "categorically not" in the area of river where police believe she fell in.

Two dispersal notices, which remain in place for 48 hours, were issued in St Michael's on Wyre at about 20:40 GMT on Wednesday.

"We will not tolerate criminality, including trespass and criminal damage," a force representative said.

Divers have searched the River Wyre and the search area has now been extended

On Tuesday, Supt Sally Riley had warned about some people speculating online.

The force said it was looking into a number of "grossly offensive" comments made on social media and it would "not hesitate to take action where appropriate".

Ms Bulley's friend Emma White said conspiracy theories being spread online were hindering the search.

Ms Bulley's friend Emma White says police are doing "tremendous" work

She told BBC Radio Lancashire an abandoned house across the river from the spot where Ms Bulley's mobile phone was found had been "searched inside and out" and she urged people to stay away.

"Please, please, please don't be going into the village... and knocking on people's doors or doing Youtube or TikTok [videos]," she said.

Ms White said three police vans had responded to 999 calls on Wednesday due to this behaviour, "which is not only taking the efforts away from looking for Nicola but also the community".

"We are begging please do not take the matter into your own hands," she said.

"The police are doing tremendous work so we need to leave it to them."

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