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Nicola Bulley: Yellow ribbons left near where mother last seen

PA Media A poster for Nicola Bulley on a footbridge over the River WyrePA Media
The search for Nicola Bulley continues after she was last seen on a dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre

Yellow ribbons with messages of hope have been tied to a bridge near to where Nicola Bulley was last seen.

The 45-year-old went missing on 27 January after a riverside dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire.

A footbridge over the River Wyre has been adorned with messages from friends and family including "We need you home Nicola" - and a large poster with her photograph was tied to the railings.

Police are continuing to search the water, heading towards Morecambe Bay.

Police handout Nicola BulleyPolice handout
Nicola Bulley has not been seen since 27 January

Lancashire Police is continuing to work on one hypothesis that Ms Bulley could have fallen into the river during her walk after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school that morning.

The search has been aided by specialists and divers from HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, with sniffer dogs, drones and police helicopters.

However Ms Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, has said he is "100% convinced" she did not fall into the water.

He said he wanted to keep "all options open" about her disappearance but his "gut instinct" told him she was not in the river.

Police said they were keeping an open mind as the search for the mortgage adviser from Inskip entered its 17th day.

PA Media A woman and a young boy tie a yellow ribbon with a message of hope written on it, to a bridge over the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre (note - parental permission given)PA Media
Yellow ribbons have been tied to a footbridge near where Ms Bulley was last seen

The Lancashire force earlier ruled out third-party involvement but on Friday said it continued to "look at all the potential scenarios to eliminate them".

Other messages tied at the spot near where she was last seen say Ms Bulley is loved and that people are "praying for your safe return".

Map of where Nicola Bulley vanished

No trace has yet been found of Ms Bulley.

Her phone, still connected to a Teams call, was found on a bench on a steep riverbank overlooking the water, along with the dog lead and harness on the ground.

On Friday, officers announced they were extending their search downstream towards the sea at Morecambe Bay.

The search will involve combing inlets and marshland at the Wyre Estuary

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