Major update in the hunt for Nicola Bulley as cops today bring in specialist divers ‘after initially refusing their help’.

COPS has called in a special team of divers to search the river near where Nicola Bulley disappeared.

The 45-year-old dog walker disappeared after taking her children to school in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on Friday January 27.

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Since then there has been no trace of the mother of two, leaving her family in torment.

Cops this week revealed their “main working hypothesis” that Nicola “sadly fell into the icy River Wyre”.

And now a private specialist diving group has announced they are on their way to search the waters.

Specialist Group International (SGI) offered to help Lancashire Police days ago but the force turned it down, they claim.

Now the police have announced that the group will help hunt down Nicola.

A post on SGI’s Facebook page read: “Just had a long phone call with the Lancashire Police Tracing Advisor to discuss the search for Nicola.

“We will be working closely with the police search teams who are working long hours to find Nicola.

“The team will shortly be leaving our base in Dorking en route to Lancashire for an early start tomorrow.”

Earlier this week, SGI claimed they contacted police and offered their help, but their offer was turned down.

SGI ranted at the time: “Unfortunately, through the family, Lancashire Police have responded and declined my offer and said they will proceed with their own river searches with their current resources.”

But in a statement last night, Lancashire Police announced a reversal.

The force said: “SGI has reached out to the family and offered to help locate Nicola. Lancashire Police have already been in touch with them.

“They will be deployed under the direction of Lancashire Police and join an already large multi-agency search operation involving a variety of search tools and resources.

“Your ability will overlay what has already been completed and is yet to be completed to provide additional search coverage in a highly search-challenging environment.”

Yesterday, CGI chief Peter Faulding branded the Nicola probe “a mess” as crucial evidence may have been overlooked.

He also criticized police for not cordoning off the area where Nicola disappeared and said they were too quick to assume there were no suspicious circumstances.

It comes after the first CCTV images of missing mother Nicola Bulley were released on the day she disappeared.

Snapshots of Nicola’s own Ring Doorbell show loading her car outside her home just hours before she went missing while strolling along the riverbank.

She is seen in security footage wearing a long dark coat, leggings and ankle boots and has her hair tied in a ponytail.

She then climbs into her Mercedes 4×4 before heading off to the school run to drop off her two daughters.

A friend of Nicola’s released the CCTV footage to find her.

It comes as another friend implored the public to keep an open mind about the cause of her disappearance.

Leanne Grace wrote on Facebook: “I’ll watch the sunset another day.

“The hours go by so slowly but somehow turned into days and now into weeks. Every day gets harder for your friends and family and our hearts break a little more.

“Trying to get on with everyday life just doesn’t feel right.

“We won’t give up on you, Nicola. Please keep searching everyone.

“Despite the police hypothesis that Nicola may have fallen into the water, please note there is no evidence of this.

“There are other avenues that have not yet been explored.

“If anyone has any information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, please contact the police immediately.

“Nikki must be out there. Please help her bring her home to her family. We love you, Nik.”

On the day she went missing, the mother-of-two wore an ankle-length black quilted vest, a black waist-length Engelbert Strauss coat worn underneath, slim-fitting black jeans and long green hiking socks tucked into her jeans, ankle-length green Next – Wellies, a necklace and a light blue Fitbit.