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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Olivia Williams

Everything that happened in first 24 hours Nicola Bulley disappeared

Police have issued information on what happened in the first 24 hours Nicola Bulley disappeared.

After 19 days of searching for the 45-year-old, a press conference was held today at Lancashire Police HQ. Police issued a timeline during the conference which charted the first 24 hours of the disappearance of the mum-of-two.

With specific designated timestamps, the timeline explained what Nicola did the morning of January 27, to when she was reported missing to the aftermath of that report.

READ MORE: Barmaid may need plastic surgery after drinker 'exploded' her nose

This is police's timeline of events in Nicola's disappearance on January 27:

  • 8.26am: Nicola leaves her home address.
  • 8.40am: Nicola's children start school.
  • 9.01am: Nicola was with her dog in a field south of Rowanwater caravan park of St Michaels on Wyre. She logged into a Teams call. She remained on mute with her video off throughout the call, which was not unusual for Nicola.
  • Around 9.10am: A witness who knows Nicola saw her on the upper field.
  • Around 9.33am: The phone was found on the bench, still connected to the Teams call, which had ended at 9.30am.
  • 11.01am: Nicola was reported as missing and immediately graded as high risk.
  • Around 12pm: Specialist officers were at the scene with police dogs, commencing foot patrols including evidence gathering associated with missing persons, as well as speaking to family, friends and witnesses.
  • Around 12.18pm: Police drone was utilised to search the fields and immediate area.
  • 1.10pm: National Police Air Service (NPAS) deployed to the same area.
  • 1.14pm: Lancashire FRS on the scene using thermal imaging, underwater drone, search dogs and land searches.
  • 2.30pm: Partner agencies, including mountain rescue, underwater search and marine units were deployed.
  • Rest of the hours: Search efforts continue at this intensity for the proceeding days.

Nicola disappeared while walking her springer spaniel, Willow, in the village of St Michael's on Wyre after she dropped her two daughters - aged six and nine - at school on January 27. Speaking at a press conference, senior investigating officer Detective Supt Rebecca Smith said the mother-of-two has been branded a "high-risk" missing person with "specific vulnerabilities." She also confirmed that detectives have found no evidence of a "criminal aspect or third party involvement."

Detective Superintendent Smith, refused to give more details of the mother-of-two's "individual vulnerabilities". Referring to Ms Bulley's partner Paul Ansell, she told a press conference: "It's normal in any missing person investigation that you obviously gather as much information at an early stage about the person in question, which is no different and we did that with Paul.

"I'm not going to go into the details of those individual vulnerabilities. I've asked you to respect the family, who are going through unimaginable pain and distress at this moment.

"But those vulnerabilities based our decision-making in terms of grading Nicola as high risk and have continued to form part of my investigation throughout."

Asked if she hoped to find her alive, Det Supt Smith said: "I hope with all my heart that we find Nicola Bulley alive more than anything."

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