Police find key witness with 'small fluffy white dog' as hunt for missing mum Nicola Bulley goes on
31 January 2023, 11:53 | Updated: 1 February 2023, 11:06
Police are quizzing a man described as "potentially a key witness" in the hunt for Nicola Bulley, the mother-of-two who vanished while walking her dog.
Mortgage adviser Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared on Friday morning while on a work call on a path in the town of Wyre, Lancashire.
Her phone was found on a bench close to the spot where she went missing - still connected to the conference call.
Lancashire Police said on Tuesday that they were looking for a "potentially key witness" - a man with a small, fluffy white dog.
The man has since been identified, and officers said they were speaking to him on Tuesday evening.
Her family also issued a statement today, saying: "We have been overwhelmed by the support from our community and would like to thank everyone for their ongoing efforts to help us find Nicola.
"The girls are desperate to have their mummy back home safe with them and your ongoing efforts have provided comfort to them whilst we await news on Nicola.
"We ask for anyone who thinks they may have any information that may help the police find Nicola to please come forward and help them with their inquiries."
Just weeks ago, the mother-of-two had shared an image on social media of her and her dog, Willow, close to where she later vanished.
"A very foggy cold walk this morning, not a day to forget your gloves! Bit spooky too!" the caption read.
"Set me up for the day though and Willow had the best time."
Read more: Woman, 45, who went missing while walking dog ‘was on work conference call when she disappeared’
Searches have been ongoing over the weekend for the 45-year-old.
Ms Bulley's partner Paul Ansell said he spent all of Sunday looking for her.
"It is just perpetual hell. It is just utter disbelief. We are living through this but it doesn't feel real," he told the MailOnline.
"All we can say is we need to find her.
"She's got two little girls that need their mummy home. We have got to get some good news now."
Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Superintendent Sally Riley from Lancashire Police said at the time: “It was on a meeting call, and that was still live it was connected to the conference call and that hadn’t been terminated.”
"We appeal for anyone who may have been driving through the village of St Michael's last Friday morning at about 9.15am or who may have dashcam footage that could be of use to us, or people who may have been dog-walking in the area or on the tow path to come forward.
"They can ring 101 or, if they have a sighting of Nicola, 999."
Asked about lines of inquiry, she said: "The police are keeping a really open mind about what could have happened but we do believe that the likelihood is that Nicola has gone missing and this is not a crime inquiry, but we are keeping an open mind."