A friend of Nicola Bulley has shared 11 pieces of information in an attempt to stop harmful speculation causing 'distress' to her loved ones. The 45-year-old went missing on January 27 after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, off at school in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire.
Police search teams are in operation along the River Wyre today (February 5) as efforts to find Nicola move into their 10th day. Lancashire Police believes Nicola could have fallen into the river as she tried to retrieve a ball while walking her dog along a towpath in St Michael's, though friends and family have questioned the theory.
Detectives have previously confirmed they are not treating the mum-of-two's disappearance as suspicious, but social media users have sparked their own rumours online. Nicola's friend Tilly Ann has now shared 11 facts about the family online in an effort to set the record straight, Lancs Live reports.
READ MORE: Nicola Bulley latest with search teams in operation along the River Wyre
Tilly said: "I want to start this post by thanking those who have shared and shared posts and who have been out looking and have created such a comfort to Nikki's family. Absolutely incredible!
"However, I can't sit back anymore and not act with regards the hurt and distress that is being caused by some very inappropriate comments." Tilly, with permission from Nicola's family, has now shared 11 answers to questions which have been circulation on social media, and hopes that this will clear up any misinformation.
- Nicola and Paul both mostly work from home which is why he was at home that day and the house has CCTV.
- They both do this walk regularly and Paul is very well known in the community and very well recognised.
- The dog, Willow, never has her harness on for a chunk of that walk, it's removed at the gate of the top field and then put back on at the gate when they leave.
- They very rarely take the ball out for walks with Willow and haven't done for a while because she is protective over the ball.
- Nicola would often put her phone on loudspeaker when talking.
- The dog was found very close to both the bench and the harness. The harness was found on the floor not on the bench.
- Nicola is an incredibly strong swimmer.
- She drove to the school to drop her two daughters off and then left her car there and walked to the river.
- The dog was dry when found.
- The dog has since been back.
- 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.
The post follows a warning from Lancashire Police about what members of the public were posting on social media following Nicola's disappearance. A spokesperson for the force said: "The speculation and abuse on social media aimed at some people who are merely assisting our enquiry is totally unacceptable.
"We would urge people to remember that we are investigating the disappearance of Nicola, and the priority is Nicola and her family. We want to find her and provide answers to her family."
Anybody who has seen Nicola Bulley, or has information about where she might be, is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of January 30. For immediate sightings call 999.
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