Police will hold a press conference today on the search for missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley after her family expressed “frustration” over the investigation.
The briefing will take place at 11.30am after speculation about what might have happened to her has continued to grow in the 19 days since she vanished.
The Telegraph will be live-streaming the press conference and bringing you all the latest updates.
Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her springer spaniel Willow in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after she dropped off her two daughters – aged six and nine – at school on January 27.
At a press conference on February 3, the force first told the public of its “main working hypothesis” that the mortgage adviser fell into the river during a “10-minute window” between 9.10am and 9.20am that day.
The force said her disappearance was not being treated as suspicious.
Ms Bulley has still not been found and detectives extended the search for her to the sea on February 3, saying finding her there “becomes more of a possibility”.
On Tuesday, four officers were seen searching the banks of the river at Stanah. Police were also seen trawling the water at Cartford Bridge.
Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell, 44, is being supported by Peter Faulding, a forensics expert who carried out a three-day search of the river.
Among the family’s frustrations is that officers have not answered whether Ms Bulley’s car keys can be tracked via GPS, which is possible for some newer models. Mr Ansell is said to have contacted Mercedes himself to get answers.
Mr Faulding said: “He’s just frustrated. It’s very difficult and he’s had enough, he just wants answers. He has got a lot of questions. He just wants some form of closure I think, one way or the other, and he’s gearing himself up for any outcome.”
He said Mr Ansell is desperate for the search to be widened and is “lost” without Ms Bulley.
‘Daughters are in pieces’
“He’s got no partner, the kids are missing mum, he’s in pieces,” said Mr Faulding. “His daughters are in pieces. He just wants to know where Nicola is.”
He added: “There’s a feeling that there’s just a lack of imagination and willpower,” he said. “I don’t want to be critical of the police but I’m just giving his thoughts really. Somebody at a senior level needs to come out and give a statement to the public to put their minds at rest.”
On Tuesday it was also reported that on February 7 officers had been given a blue ski glove discovered near to where she was last sighted.
Footage of the glove, which was said to be stained, was shared on the social media site TikTok but has since been deleted.
A local angler has said that Lancashire police only contacted a fishing group on Monday of this week to check who was at the River Wyre at the time she vanished.
A 49-year-old man from Manchester and a 20-year-old woman from Oldham have been arrested on suspicion of malicious communications offences in relation to emails allegedly sent to Wyre Council members.
The man has been bailed pending further inquiries until May 12 while the woman remains in custody.
On Monday, Wyre Council removed councillors’ contact details from its website due to “inappropriate emails and phone calls” about Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
It said it had temporarily removed contact details for “parish and town council members” after Lancashire Police confirmed its investigation.
Meanwhile, Ms Bulley’s friends and neighbours, including her next-door neighbour and friend Charlotte Drake, have continued to flock to a bridge over the Wyre to lay yellow ribbons with messages which say they still hope she will be found safe and well.
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson and Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith will lead the conference.
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