Nicola Bulley: Friend of missing mum from Inskip gives plea to 'stop the speculation' from online trolls

As the search for missing Nicola Bulley reaches its eleventh day, the case described as ‘most unusual’ by search experts has picked up national attention with people across the UK desperate to find out what has happened.

Nicola was last seen walking with her dog next to the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre on Friday, 27 January.

Ms Bulley's disappearance has drawn a lot of attention on social media with thousands of people commenting on the ongoing search.

As photos, videos and comments of the different hypotheses circulate on social media platforms, a close friend of Nicola has come forward to plea with the public to ‘stop the speculation’ as she said it is ‘not helpful at all’.

Speaking with BBC Radio Lancashire at St Michael’s this morning, Emma White said: “Last night when I got involved in the social media, there was a guy out there that had gone to a local house. These are local people in our community, you just can’t go and knock on people’s doors. People are sharing live videos on TikTok, we’ve got people wanting to go to a local caravan park and knock on. It’s very, very kind of you that people do want to help but we do have to leave all of this in police hands. Believe me, they have been to the caravan park, they have been to local houses, they are looking, they aren’t just focusing on the river. They are doing everything behind the scenes, to find out what’s going on.

"What we can do, is we can stop the speculation, we can stop the hurtful comments, and for example when the police share something: say they get several comments, which believe me they are getting in the tens of thousands, the police are having to put their effort into every comment being made. So if we’re making hypotheses or statements that are theories, it’s not helpful at all, so please just don’t do that. And that’s what you could really do to help.

“Because at the end of the day, we all want Nicki home, it’s day eleven and believe me these days are getting tougher.”

Meanwhile, Lancashire Police force said: "We can say with confidence that by reviewing CCTV, Nicola has not left the field during the key times via Rowanwater, either through the site itself or via the piece of land at the side. Also, we can say that she did not return from the fields along Allotment Lane or via the path at the rear of the Grapes pub on to Garstang Road.

"Our inquiries now focus on the river path which leads from the fields back to Garstang Road - for that we need drivers and cyclists who travelled that way on the morning of 27 January to make contact."

Police believe Ms Bulley may have fallen into the River Wyre, but they "remain open minded" and are continuing to carry out a "huge number" of inquiries.