Nicola Bulley’s friends say the partner could not have been involved in the disappearance due to key CCTV evidence

MISSING Nicola Bulley’s friends have slammed ‘disgusting’ claims her partner was involved in her disappearance.

Glaring theories have swirled around the horrifying case after Nicola disappeared from St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire on January 27.

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The mother-of-two’s friends have now been forced to defend her heartbroken partner Paul Ansell after internet sleuths suggested he was involved.

Nicola’s friend Tilly Ann released a statement, with family permission, to dispel the rumours.

She said: “Paul and Nikki both work mostly from home, which is why he was home that day.

“They have CCTV and there’s a reason Paul was never suspected.

“Family and friends need these allegations to stop immediately. The fact that I had to write that is frankly disgusting.”

Paul released another heartfelt plea over the weekend as the search for Nicola continued.

He said the family needed a “happy ending to this nightmare.”

Paul added, “The agony continues, but the hope of finding you is stronger than ever.”

It comes as the search for Nicola is being assisted by a group of private divers today.

Specialist Group International (SGI) will comb the river with specialist equipment.

Lancashire Police previously said their “main working hypothesis” was that Nicola “unfortunately fell into the river”.

Supt Sally Riley claimed there may have been an “issue” with dog Willow that led Nicola to the water’s edge.

Police believed the mother could have gone to the river to get the dog’s tennis ball when she may have fallen in.

But Nicola’s sister Louise Cunningham and friend Emma have dismissed the hypothesis.

The couple stated there was “no evidence” that Nicola fell in the water while retrieving Willow’s tennis ball.

Supt Riley also later admitted that there was also nothing to show a slip or fall near the bench where Nicola’s phone was found.

Emma said today: “The hypothesis is based on limited information – I have said before that it is a theory – and unfortunately we cannot base our lives on a theory.”

Nicola’s disappearance has gripped the nation after seemingly disappearing without a trace ten days ago.

Her cellphone was found on a bench near the riverbank, still connected to a business conference call.

Nicolas springer spaniel Willow has also been spotted – but there is still no sign of the missing mother.

Footage has now been released of Nicola the morning she was last seen from her own Ring doorbell camera.

The mother can be seen loading the car in front of her house before heading off to the school run.

Nicola started her walk along the towpath to the River Wyre at 8.43am after dropping off her two children.

Police say about seven minutes later, a dog walker who knows Nicola saw her running in the lower field with her springer spaniel, Willow.

The witness said her two dogs interacted briefly before she left Nicola via the river path.

At 8:53 am, the mother emailed her boss at Exclusively Mortgages.

She then logged on to a Teams call at 9:01 am and was seen in the upper field with Willow about nine minutes later.

Police say the work call ended at 9.30am but Nicola remained logged on.

At around 9:35 a.m., the cell phone and Willow were found on a bench by the river, but Nicola was nowhere to be seen.

There is a ten-minute window during which police cannot explain Nicolas’ movements.

This is between 9.10am – the last confirmed sighting – and 9.20am when Nicola’s phone is believed to have been on a bench while connected to a work call.

Nicola was described as white, 5 feet 3 inches tall with light brown shoulder length hair.

She was last seen in an ankle-length black quilted vest with a black Engelbert Strauss waist-length coat underneath and black skinny jeans.

She had long green hiking socks tucked into her jeans, ankle-length green Next wellies, a necklace, and a light blue Fitbit.

Nicola has an Essex accent and ties to the Thornton Cleveleys area near Blackpool.

Anyone with information as to where she may be is asked to call 101 and quote log 473 from January 27, or call 999 for an immediate sighting.

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