Police are now searching for anglers on the river where Nicola Bulley disappeared as the investigation into the whereabouts of the missing mum continues. Officials have approached local fishing clubs requesting information on those who were on the river on the day of the disappearance.
The 45-year-old vanished without a trace during a dog walk along the River Wyre in the village of St Michael's, Lancs, on January 27. As the investigation hits the third week, detectives are looking at who had permits to fish the river around the time she went missing near its banks.
The Mirror reports that officials have previously stated their working theory is that Nicola fell into the river. However, today it emerged that local fishing clubs have been approached by officers wanting information about who was ticketed to be on the river around the time of her disappearance.
This new line of inquiry comes just days after a report from a potential witness claims to have seen two men acting suspiciously on the river the day before and the morning Nicola vanished. The men were described as attempting to hide their faces with "dark clothing" and "hoods or hats" whilst also carrying fishing rods.
The anonymous witness added the pair were acting "very strange" and the sighting made him feel "uneasy". He recalled that the men didn’t seem to have a tackle or bait box, which he found bizarre.
However, it was only following the news of Nicola's disappearance that he decided to report what he had seen to police on January 29. Officials then contacted the witness nine days later police to take his full account.
Local fishermen have rejected claims that these suspicious characters were anglers. One angler said: "It sounds like they are trying to work out if anyone was fishing on the river that day and saw something, but nobody was."
The fishermen revealed police had first called fishermen the day after Nikki’s disappearance, but only to ask about the nature of the water where she went missing. He added: "The only people that were on the river that day were dog walkers.
"I can guarantee you that. The dog walkers were there."
The unnamed fisherman claims to have been fishing the river for decades. He says if Nicola did fall into the water, anyone walking along the bank wouldn’t have seen her as the currents would have dragged her under.
Following the mother's disappearance, fishing permits have been temporarily suspended by the local angling society out of respect.
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