A friend of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley has shared information about the case which she thinks people should know.
The friend, named Tilly Ann, who claimed to be acting with the family's permission, listed 11 points of interest which include the issue of CCTV - saying the only camera that could have show everything was not working - and the fact that Nicola's dog Willow was not wearing its harness, which she explained would have been normal practice.
The friend also issued a plea for trolls to stop causing "hurt and distress", reports The Mirror. Her post on Facebook follows days of anguish over the missing dog walker in Lancashire who has not been seen since January 27.
Police have said they believe the 45-year-old may have fallen into the River Wyre while Nicola's sister Louise Cunningham said there was 'no evidence whatsoever' for this theory and urged the public to keep an "open mind".
As the search continues, Tilly Ann shared 11 points on Facebook which she believes the public should know. Saying she had permission from Nicola's "incredibly close" family before posting, she went on to describe the toll the trauma is having upon them.
She described Nicola's sister Louise as "pretty much living" and wrote of the missing woman's partner Paul Ansell: "We can see the hurt and pain and can see how much he's struggling to hold back the tears.
"He's is completely focusing on his girls because if he even stops to think about anything else, he will lose it and he doesn't want to worry his girls even more than they already are." Tilly listed a series of points concerning her friend's disappearance which she believes the public should know. She wrote:
- Paul and Nikki both mostly work from home which is why he was at home that day. They have CCTV and there is a reason why Paul has never been a suspect. Family and friends need these accusations to stop immediately. The fact that I've had to write this is disgusting to be honest
- They both do this walk regularly and Paul is very well known in the community and very well recognised
- The dog 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 now because she is very very protective over the ball and haven't done for a while
- Nikki quite often would put her phone on loud speaker when talking
- The dog was found very close to the bench and the harness. The harness was found on the floor not on the bench
- Nikki is an incredibly strong swimmer
- Nikki drove to the school 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
She added: "What her family need right now is as much positivity as possible please."
Police and search specialists from HM Coastguard and the fire service continue to scour the area looking for clues to explain what happened to Nicola and hundreds of volunteers have already joined searches in St Michael's on Wyre.
The detective leading the search for Nicola has admitted there is "no evidence" to support the theory she slipped into the River Wyre but said an attack is unlikely. Police believe this to be the most likely scenario and say there is nothing that points to third-party involvement.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Superintendent Sally Riley said her officers had not found any proof that Nicola had fallen in the river. She said there were no scuff marks on the ground close to where her phone was found but she would not necessarily expect there to be.
“If it is sheer and you lose your footing, you might not have any marks left on the grass," Ms Riley said. She added: “When you triangulate all the witnesses, the CCTV, the digital and the telephone, the whole picture, it produces such a tiny window for criminal involvement that it becomes highly unlikely," she told the Times.
Read next:
- 'No evidence' Nicola fell in a river, says sister
- Partner of Nicola Bulley - it's like 'she vanished into thin air'
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