Police are mounting an intensive search for Nicola Bulley, a mortgage and protection adviser from the Preston area, who has been missing for a week in mysterious circumstances.

Ms Bulley, 45, went missing in St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire last Friday (27 Jan).

So far police have found no trace of her and have appealed to the public for more help.

Ms Bulley, a mother of two daughters aged six and nine, has had a long career in mortgage advice and financial services. 

She works for Leeds-based Exclusively Mortgages and is CeMap qualified. She started work at Exclusively Mortgages early in 2022, according to her LinkedIn profile.

A spokesman for Exclusively Mortgages said today: "We are saddened to hear about the disappearance of Nicola, and our thoughts are with her family at this extremely difficult and challenging time. Please contact Lancashire Police for any updates on the case.” 

At the time she disappeared she had taken her dog Willow for a walk towards the River Wyre after dropping off her children at school.

She then sat on a bench and logged in to a Teams call. Her phone remained logged into the call after the call ended but she was not seen again. Her phone was found on the bench by another dog walker shortly afterwards.

Police say they are “extremely concerned” about Ms Bulley’s whereabouts and have asked for help in finding her.

Soon after she went missing last Friday, an investigation was launched into her disappearance and a large search was carried out in the area. Police says searches are continuing but there is nothing to suggest any third party was involved in her disappearance.

Lancashire Police say these are the timings of her movements on the morning she went missing:

8.43am – Nicola walked along the path by the River Wyre, having dropped her children off at school

8:50am (approximately) - A dog-walker – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her walking around the lower field with her dog. Their two dogs interacted briefly before the witness left the field via the river path

8.53am – Nicola sent an email to her boss

9.01am – She logged into a Teams call

9.10am (approximately) – A witness – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her on the upper field walking her dog, Willow. Work is ongoing to establish exactly what time this was.

9.30am – The Teams call ended but Nicola stayed logged on

9.35am (approximately) – Nicola’s mobile phone and Willow were found at a bench by the river by another dog-walker. 

A spokesman for Lanacashire Police said: “We continue to have specialist resources from both the police and other emergency services in the area searching a significant area of land around the river off Garstang Road. We also have divers in the area and are using underwater drones to search the full length of the River Wyre downstream. Our police dogs have also been out searching. 

“We are really grateful to everyone who has come forward with information so far and would continue to ask people to get in touch if they have information or concerns.”

Supt Sally Riley said: “We know that Nicola going missing has caused a great deal of concern for the wider local community, as well as obviously being an awful time for her family. This remains a missing person inquiry and at this time there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.

“I appreciate that there are unanswered questions about what has happened to Nicola, but I would urge people not to speculate or spread false rumours. We will share updates when we can, but we must be factual. Nicola’s family are being kept up to date with events and are being supported by officers.

“We are really grateful for the community’s help and co-operation so far, but I’d like to stress again parts of the riverbank are treacherous, especially after the recent rain, and we would ask that nobody puts themselves in danger and that the police and partner agencies’ efforts to find Nicola are not compromised."

Nicola is white, 5ft 3ins tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair. She speaks with an Essex accent. She was last seen wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive-green ankle wellies. Her hair was tied into a ponytail. 

Anybody with information is asked to call 101, quoting log 565 of 30 January. For immediate sightings police have urged anyone to call 999.

• Update: 3pm / Fri 3 Feb 2023. At a police press conference, Lancashire Police say they are working on theory that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.