A broken CCTV camera might be hindering the police search for missing mum Nicola Bulley, according to a friend of her family. Officers have been trawling through footage to work out what happened to the 45-year-old mortgage advisor, reports the Mirror.
But Lancashire Police has admitted "blackspots" have affected its investigation. Detectives are pursuing a theory that the mum-of-two may have fallen into the River Wyre as she walked her dog in St Michael's on Wyre on Friday, January 27.
Third party involvement is not suspected, but Nicola's sister has urged investigators to keep an "open mind" about her fate. Hundreds turned out for a search for Nicola on Sunday.
One frustrated friend took to social media to allege that a CCTV camera pointing towards the spot where Nicola may have last been seen was faulty, crippling the investigation. In a post she claimed was published with the family's backing the woman, named Tilly Ann, said it may have revealed all had it been operational.
She wrote: "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."
Lancashire Police said of the claim: "We can't comment on specific parts of the enquiry. CCTV/dash cam footage etc is something the investigating team have been focusing on and we continue to ask the public's help for that."
Superintendent Sally Riley, who is heading the investigation, said detectives have failed to spot Nicola leaving the park on CCTV they have analysed to date. However, she has admitted there are camera blackspots.
Supt Riley told the Lancashire Post: "Several exits of the riverside area have CCTV covering them or exits are locked and therefore couldn't have been passed through by Nicola. There's only a very small area onto Garstang Lane toward the A5/A6 which is not covered by CCTV and that's why we're appealing today for dashcam footage or for people who may have been walking on Garstang Lane or driving in the area to come forward if they can.'"
Nicola's sudden disappearance, during a Teams work call in which she was on mute, has sent shockwaves through the local community. One dad-of-two, 47-year-old Mike Joyce, brought his family from their home 10 miles away to join the search.
He said: "We just wanted to do our bit for the community to help. We don't know Nicola and have no connection to the village. But it's terrible what has happened. I just feel so sorry for her family and can't imagine what they are going through. I hope she is found soon."
Clare Brown, 36, from Blackpool, said: "It must be agonising for the family not knowing. I just wanted to do my bit so that the family knows that they are not alone. I just pray they can find her soon."
In her Facebook post, Tilly Ann listed several points about Nicola's disappearance that she claimed the family wanted the public to know, amid intense public speculation about what happened to her. She said she been "shocked and appalled" at some of the things said about her friend.
Among other points, she wrote:
- Nicola and her partner Paul Ansell both work at home; there was a "reason" Paul was not a suspect
- Both Nicola and Paul walk the dog on the route regularly
- The dog never has the harness on during that stretch of the walk – it was found running free
- They rarely take the dog's ball out anymore as she is "protective"
- Nicola tended to put her phone on loudspeaker during calls.
- The dog was found close to the bench and its harness
- Nicola is an "incredibly strong swimmer"
- She drove to school to drop off her children, and left the car at the school
- The dog was dry when it was found
- The dog has since been walked in the area again
- That the CCTV at a nearby caravan park wasn't working.
She added: "What her family need right now is as much positivity as possible please."
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Superintendent Riley said her officers had not found any proof that Nicola had fallen in the river - but continue to believe that is the most likely reason for her disappearance. She said there were no scuff marks on the ground close to where her phone was found - but said she would not necessarily expect them to be.
"If it is sheer and you lose your footing, you might not have any marks left on the grass," Ms Riley said. She added that there is nothing to support third-party involvement.
More than 100 people, including members of Nicola's family, attended morning service at St Michael's on Wyre church. The chapel is just a couple of hundred yards from the spot where she was last seen.
Reverend Andrew Wilkinson, who has been at the church for more than 20 years, said: "We have been making a special effort to keep the church open. On Friday evening a little bit of normal life continued for the sake of the children which was the local school disco.
"The girls were there and we opened the church and had tea and coffee and Nicola's partner Paul and his family came. That was very quiet, very private, the kids were all there just doing normal things. That was really important.
"We lit candles in church. We are keeping that hope going and light in the darkness has been our theme today, making sure the family knows they are completely supported and they are not on their own."
Nicola was last seen at 9.10am. Her phone and Willow were found 25 minutes later, with no sign of the mum.
In a Facebook post, her sister Louise Cunningham asked people to keep an "open mind" as there is "no evidence whatsoever" that she fell into the river. She wrote: "It's just a theory."
The police search has been aided by specialists and divers from HM Coastguard, mountain rescue, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters are among the assets to have been deployed in the intense effort.
Last night Lancashire Constabulary appealed for a woman seen on CCTV pushing a pram close to the River Wyre on the morning Nicola vanished. A few hours later officers confirmed that she had come forward - stressing that she was "very much being treated as a witness".
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
