Nicola Bulley’s sister shares urgent plea as search for missing dog walker enters third week

Nicola Bulley’s sister is urging members of the public to keep sharing the campaign to bring her home as the search enters its 18th day.

The missing dog walker’s friends and family have launched the ‘Bring Nikki Home’ campaign with her sister, Louise Cunningham, encouraging people to get involved on social media.

Ms Bulley’s loved ones are urging people to post a yellow logo on Facebook to raise awareness of the 45-year-old’s disappearance and encourage potential witnesses to come forwards. On Sunday Ms Cunningham posted the logo with the request to “please keep sharing”.

People have been leaving yellow ribbons tied onto a bridge close to where Ms Bulley went missing along with handwritten messages like “we need you home Nicola”.

The ‘Bring Nikki Home’ campaign was launched after Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, said he was “100% convinced” she isn’t in the river despite police suspecting she did.

Emma White, a friend of Ms Bulley’s, said: “The search is ongoing for that vital piece of information to find Nikki. What we have is love and strength driven from the hope, please share the love and bringnikkihome – turning Facebook yellow.”

Ms Bulley of Inskip, Lancashire, vanished while walking her dog in a field next to the river in St Michaels on Wyre on the morning of 27 January after dropping her two children off at school.

Her mobile phone and springer spaniel, Willow, were found near a bench in the field.

Despite two sightings of Ms Bulley in the hour leading up to her disappearance and an extensive search of the area police have been unable to find any traces of her.

On Friday Lancashire Constabulary said it was keeping an “open mind” as to what might have happened.

The force said it was continuing to search the river, although the investigation was being focused further downstream to an area where it becomes tidal.

They said one hypothesis is that Ms Bulley could have fallen into the river.

Speaking in a TV interview last week, Mr Ansell said: “I am 100% convinced it’s not the river.”

“There has to be a way to find out what happened. You cannot walk your dog down a river and just vanish into thin air.”

He said the family is going through “unprecedented hell”. Ms Bulley has two daughters aged six and nine.

Police have widened their search this week, switching from focusing on St Michael’s to about 10 miles downstream where the river runs out into the sea at Morecombe Bay.

Specialists and divers have joined the search, including mountain rescue, HM Coastguard and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

They are using drones, sniffer dogs and police helicopters.

Over the weekend it was reported that detectives working on the case had visited a garage near St Michael’s Church to request CCTV footage and take statements from staff.