Police tasked with investigating the disappearance of missing mum Nicola Bulley have reportedly drafted in one of the UK's top investigators to help them with the case.
The Mirror reports that Lancashire Police have requested the help of a top detective from the National Crime Agency (NCA) – the country's authority on tackling organised crime – to bolster the investigation. Mum-of-two Nicola, 45, hasn't been seen since the morning of January 27 after dropping her kids off at school.
She was last seen walking family pet Willow along the banks of the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre shortly after 9am. Less than an hour later, her mobile phone was found on a bench still logged into a Microsoft Teams call and Willow was running free.
A huge search effort has since been undertaken along the banks of the Wyre, which has since been expanded to Morecambe Bay and the shallows of the Irish Sea after trawls of the riverbed failed to produce any sign of the missing mum. The Sunday Times reports that Lancashire cops have requested help from the NCA, which also deals with large-scale human trafficking and fraud operations.
The detective was reportedly involved in the investigation into the murder of police community support officer Julia James. The 53-year-old was killed by Callum Wheeler, 22, after he ambushed her as she walked her dog in Kent on April 27 2021.
Armed with a railway jack, Wheeler delivered fatal blunt force trauma injuries to her head. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 37 years last summer.
The top investigator, who hasn't been named, has reportedly advised Lancashire Police to draft in external experts to help with the search. This could include digital media specialists, forensic clinical psychologists and even dog behavioural specialists who could help piece together what happened in the critical ten minute window between Nicola's last known sighting and her disappearance.
Lancashire Police has come under fire for aspects of its investigation. The force was slammed for disclosing Nicola's problems with alcohol and the menopause; privacy campaigners expressed concerns over releasing intimate details of her private life into the public domain.
Police chiefs have since vowed to conduct an internal review, and have self-referred the force to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over an earlier meeting with Nicola weeks before she vanished. Meanwhile Nicola's dad, 73-year-old Ernie, said the family was desperate for answers.
In an emotional statement released via the police this week, Nicola's relatives said: "Nikki, we hope you are reading this and know that we love you so much and your girls want a cuddle. We all need you home.
"You can reach out to us, or you can contact MissingPeople.org.uk. Don't be scared, we all love you so very much."
At a press conference earlier this week, Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith of Lancashire Police said: "I hope with all my heart that we find Nicola Bulley alive, more than anything".
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