A desperate search to find a 45-year-old woman who went missing while walking her dog is entering its fourth day.
Nicola Bulley, from Inskip in the Fylde area of Lancashire, was last seen on Friday morning (January 27) at around 9.15am. She was walking her brown-coloured Spaniel on the footpath by the river off Garstang Road in St Michael’s on Wyre.
The dog has been found close to the scene, but Nicola has vanished. A major search operation was launched by Lancashire Police, with drones and search dogs used.
READ MORE: Senior GMP officer among those accused of sexual misconduct as new allegations emerge
Fire crews, divers from the North West Underwater Search Team and the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team are also helping with the search. Police said Nicola's family are being supported as the search continues today.
Detectives are 'keeping an open mind' about where she may be and are 'following a number of lines of enquiry'. Anyone with any information - or anyone who saw Nicola in the moments before she went missing - is being urged to contact officers.
She is described as being white and around 5ft 3in tall. She has light-brown, shoulder-length hair and speaks with an Essex accent, police added.
Nicola was last seen wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellies. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.
As well as Inskip and St Michael’s, Nicola also has links to Thornton Cleveleys. Chief Inspector Chris Barton, of Lancashire Police, said: "Nicola has now been missing for two days and we are extremely concerned about her.
"Firstly, if anybody saw her on Friday morning and has not yet been spoken to by police, or if anybody has any other information about where she might be, please get in touch with us straight away. Enquiries are very much ongoing and we have a team of detectives working tirelessly to establish the circumstances around her disappearance, in addition to a large team of police officers, partner agency and volunteer groups on the ground searching the area around where she was last seen.
"We are following a number of lines of enquiry and are keeping an open mind at this stage about what has occurred. We appreciate there is a great deal of concern in the local area and that people want to help, however we would ask that nobody puts themselves in any danger.
"If anybody has any questions or concerns they are welcome to speak to officers in the area."
Anybody who has seen Nicola, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 473 of January 27. Call 999 with an immediate sightings.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Man burst into bathroom as woman desperately tried to call 999 for help in sickening attack
- Four arrested as stolen car wrecked after being ploughed into lamppost
- Woman told nurse 'sorry' as she fell ill from fatal overdose on Prestwich mental health ward, inquest hears
- 'We have no trains, no trams - now they're getting rid of our lifeline bus service'
- The Rolls-Royce of pies and the warmest welcome at the UK's best pub, just an hour from Manchester
