Police have now moved their search to the sea after spending almost two weeks searching the River Wyre in the hunt for Nicola Bulley.
The mortgage adviser, 45, from Inskip, disappeared on January 27 after dropping her two daughters - aged six and nine - at school before taking her springer spaniel Willow for a walk along the river at St Michaels on Wyre. Since then there has been relentless searches of the river, with Peter Faulding, an expert diver, and his team completing a three-day search on Wednesday, February 8.
Mr Faulding met Nicola's partner Paul Ansell and told him she had still not been found, with the private team now ending their involvement in the case. Now, a lifeboat has begun sweeping where the river meets the estuary of Morecambe Bay in Lancashire.
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Mr Faulding's independent Specialist Group International (SGI) firm were drafted in earlier this week to aid Lancashire Police divers with their high-tech sonar equipment. However, he told the Mirror the team completed scouring the area of river from where Nicola's phone was found - and where investigators theorise she likely fell in on January 27.
Lancashire Police has now confirmed that it has introduced a dispersal zone in the area of St Michaels on Wyre after people from outside the area were filming close to properties on social media. The order is in place for 48 hours after it was introduced at 8.40pm yesterday (February 8).
The force also confirmed that there has been a number of "grossly offensive comments" being made online which are being looked into by officers. The search has now been moved downstream where the river becomes tidal and out towards the sea.
In a statement, Lancashire Police said: "We can confirm a dispersal order was issued around 8.40pm yesterday (Wednesday, February 8) in St Michael’s on Wyre. This followed reports of individuals – from outside the area of St Michael’s - filming on social media close to properties.
"The order will remain in place for 48 hours and gives officers the power to disperse anyone committing anti-social behaviour. Two dispersal notices were issued, and a number of other people were warned about their behaviour.
"We hope that will give people some reassurance that we will not tolerate criminality, including trespass and criminal damage. We are also aware of a number of grossly offensive comments being made on social media and elsewhere. We are looking into these and will not hesitate to take action where appropriate.
"Our investigation into the disappearance of Nicola Bulley is continuing and we continue to search areas of the River Wyre and surrounding area. People may have seen less police activity today than previously in the area of the river above the weir but that is not because we have stepped down our searches, it is because the focus of the search has moved further downstream into the area of the river which becomes tidal and then out towards the sea.
"Anyone with information which could assist our investigation should call us on 101 quoting log 0565 of January 30th. For immediate sightings please call 999."
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