Police extend search for Nicola Bulley towards the sea after finding no evidence she fell into river

Police have extended the search for Nicola Bulley towards the sea after finding no evidence she fell into the river – as a family friend has admitted doubts over the working hypothesis on how she disappeared. 

Heather Gibbons has joined Ms Bulley’s family and friends in questioning Lancashire Police’s theory that she may have fallen into the River Wyre while walking her dog on January 27.

It comes as police, who will be joined by divers from Specialist Group International (SGI) for a third day on Wednesday, are yet to find any evidence she is in the water despite two days of extensive searches.

While SGI divers have concentrated on the area where Ms Bulley’s phone was found on a bench, other dive teams started to look further upriver towards Fleetwood and the Irish Sea on Tuesday.

But Peter Faulding, a forensic expert and founder of SGI, has previously said it is unlikely that Ms Bulley is in the fast flowing river – adding that it was ‘impossible’ for the 45-year-old to have made it to the sea.

However, The Times reports that he told the newspaper that it was possible her body could have reached the sea by now if she had fallen into the water because of the river’s meandering course.

The bay is around 15 kilometres away from where Ms Bulley is believed to have disappeared and where the River Wyre flows into the sea

Mr Faulding also slammed ‘keyboard warriors’ who have accused him of having an ‘ulterior motive’ for joining the search last night.

Source of data and images: dailymail