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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kelly-Ann Mills

Nicola Bulley: Everything we know about devoted mum - from family ties to loving dog owner

Nicola Bulley has been missing for 12 days and police are no closer to understanding what happened to her.

Known as Nikki to those that love her, the agonising wait for answers is almost too much to bear for her partner Paul, her sister Louise and her devoted parents Ernest and Dot.

But the 45-year-old is also known as mummy to her two little girls - Harriet, 9, and Sophia, 6 - who are "missing their mummy desperately".

Since she dropped her children off at their primary school on Friday, January 27 and getting Willow, the family dog ready for a walk, no-one has seen or heard from her.

Devoted and loving mum

Just weeks ago the family had enjoyed a break together in Center Parcs filled with smiling faces and cozy cuddles as they got ready to celebrate Christmas.

Weeks later the family is waiting for news.

As well as being a dedicated mother, Nikki is a self-employed mortgage and protection adviser, according to her LinkedIn profile, so it appears she set her own agenda and didn't need to be at her desk by 9am.

She was born in Thurrock in Essex, but moved to Lancashire 25 years ago, followed by her parents Ernest, 73, and Dot, 72, and sister Louise Cunningham.

She was briefly married to local businessman Simon Booth, who is now engaged to actress Jodie Prenger, who plays Glenda Shuttleworth in Coronation Street, before meeting her partner, Paul Ansell, in a pub 12 years ago.

On her Facebook page, she shared images from her life in the country as a family of four.

Nicola with her children (strava)
Her partner Paul is looking after the girls (Facebook)

Mum doted on children

Before Christmas, the dedicated mum shared photos of her naughty Elf on the Shelf antics as they invited her children to a fun weekend at Centre Parcs Winter Wonderland.

The mum looked in her element with the car packed as her girls beamed with excitement. Photo after photo followed, giving a glimpse into the family unit as they enjoyed their time together with Christmas lights and log fires.

Nicola's partner Paul Ansell said everyone is desperate to know what happened to her.

He added that Nicola's two daughters "miss their mummy desperately" and have been going through "a tough time" since her disappearance.

Mr Ansell said: "I have two little girls who miss their mummy desperately and who need her back.

"This has been such a tough time for the girls especially but also for me and all of Nicola’s family and friends, as well as the wider community and I want to thank them for their love and support.

"We are also really grateful to Peter and his team from SGI for coming up and helping support the work of Lancashire Police as they continue their investigation."

Her friends are trying to help (Facebook)

Loving pet owner

Nikki would often take her dog Willow out for walks and the pet is often seen in her selfie and family shots, being cared for as one of the family.

The springer spaniel was found bone dry on the riverbank the day Nicola went missing and she was seen on CCTV getting him ready for his regular walk.

The family has said that it was normal for Willow to have her harness removed and it was found on the floor by detectives.

Family and friends' tight-knit relationships

There are many photos that give a glimpse into Nicola's life and pictures show her enjoying her time and socialising with friends.

Many have spoken to the press in recent days to talk about the woman they know and her tight family connections.

Nicola's friend Tilly Ann posted on Facebook - with the family's permission - in an effort to dispel some myths being spread.

She said: "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."

Paul released another heartfelt plea over the weekend saying the family needs a "happy ending to this nightmare".

He added: "The agony continues but the hope is stronger than ever of finding you."

Parents saw her weekly before disappearance

Speaking to the Mirror earlier this week, Nicola's parents vowed they would "never stop looking for her".

They said the disappearance of the 45-year-old mum from in Inskip, Lancashire, was totally out of character, Ernest saying she had no health problems and was in good spirits enjoying her job.

Recalling their last conversation, he said: "Her mind was great, we picked the children up the Thursday before she went missing, as we do every Thursday.

"We took them home, Nicola had had a meeting with her boss in Garstang and she said can you stay a bit later because I have an important client coming in on Zoom. We said 'no problem' and stayed.

"She had done her work and she was very upbeat about getting her mortgage sorted.

"I said we better go now and Nicola came to the front door, and I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her and that was the last conversation I had with her."

She is a mortgage advisor (strava)
She was often out with the dog (strava)

Family grateful for expert help

The family has said it's grateful for Peter Faulding's help in the search.

Mr Faulding is a dive search specialist with years of experience in hundreds of similar cases, and his company has carried out a sonar search of the area.

But speaking today, he says he doesn't believe Nicola is in the river, having searched the area extensively with his team and their equipment.

"I don’t think she fell in the water. That's just my opinion with all the drownings I've dealt with over the years," he said.

"They normally go down and the police dive team are brilliant, they know what they're doing, professional, they would have found her, as we would've done.

"We locate people quickly. That's what I'm shocked with, that she's disappeared."

Sister Louise says no evidence of river fall

Louise Cunningham agrees there is 'no evidence' her beloved sister Nicola fell into the river.

Writing on Facebook she asked the public not to give up sharing information about Nikki.

In the post, in which she tagged her sister's partner Paul, Louise wrote: "Please keep sharing my Nikki...Off the back of the latest police media update, please can I add there is no evidence whatsoever that she has gone into the river, it's just a theory.

"Everyone needs to keep an open mind as not all cctv and leads have been investigated fully, the police confirmed the case is far from over."

There has been no trace of Nicola in the last 12 days.

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