Ghouls who are travelling miles to pose for photos on the bench where missing mum Nicola Bulley's phone was found, have been slammed by a community leader who said "This isn't a spectator sport".
People have been seen taking selfies while sat at the spot, leaving the missing 45 year old's friends flabbergasted.
Chairman of St Michael’s Parish Council Giles Phillips has said people are not coming to help the search, but to simply watch.
The search has been underway since Nicola, known as Nikki, to her friends disappeared while walking her dog near the river in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire, on Friday, January 27.
Mr Phillips said: "It would be helpful if people could let the authorities do their jobs.
"We don’t want anyone to hinder the investigation. This is not a spectator sport.
"Most of the area is private land - the public access is very minimal and can’t absorb the numbers of people who are coming every day.
"They aren’t searching for somebody - they are watching someone else search for somebody.
"We would rather people stayed home or took a day trip to the Lake District."
Nicola's friend Heather Gibbon told reporters it felt like the area had turned into a "tourist spot" with the number of people arriving.
Speaking on the riverbank, Ms Gibbons said speculation on social media about the disappearance had been "hard" for the family to deal with.
She added that the number of visitors arriving in the area had made it feel like a "tourist spot".
She told reporters: "Up to a certain level, we understand it's human nature, it's natural for everyone to have speculation, because the truth is in this, nothing is making sense."
She added that while the "turnout for the search" had been "amazing... we have noticed it does feel like some people have come to maybe use it as more like a tourist spot".
"The truth is, if we look at it factually, no-one knows [what has happened] until we have some evidence."
Yesterday, police involved in the case, warned vigilantes to stop 'taking the law into their own hands'.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Lancashire Constabulary said it "will not tolerate" members of the public committing criminal offences to try and find Ms Bulley.
The force also warned not to direct online abuse at people connected to the investigation.
Superintendent Sally Riley said: "We will not tolerate online abuse of anyone, including innocent witnesses, members of the family and friends, of local businesses, or of criminal damage or burglary.
"We will be taking a strong line on that, as you would expect.
"There are some properties along the riverside which are empty or derelict.
"Whilst it may be well intentioned that people think that that could be a line of inquiry, I would ask them to desist from doing that.
"In some cases it may be criminal if they are breaking in and causing damage or committing a burglary."
She said officers have searched derelict riverside properties with the permission of owners.
"Because there is no criminal element yet identified, and we don't expect there to be in this inquiry, then we're not starting to go into houses because that's not where the inquiry is leading us," she added.
Ms Riley also urged the public to avoid "distressing" speculation about what might have happened to Ms Bulley.
