Last known movements of missing mother Nicola Bulley

The mystery of the mother who vanished while walking her dog: Last known movements of Nicola Bulley who was still connected to a work call when she disappeared on towpath after dropping her kids off at school

• Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing on Friday morning and has not been seen since
• Police are still searching for her nearly a week on as her family deal with fears   

Searches for mother-of-two Nicola Bulley entered their sixth day today with no trace of the mortgage adviser last seen in picture postcard St Michael’s-on-Wyre.

Her worried family are distraught at her disappearance and her partner Paul Ansell has tried to protect their two little girls by explaining ‘mummy is lost’.

They are said to have ‘cried their eyes out’ as he tried to console them while himself terrified at her unexplained vanishing.

Lancashire Police has so far been unable to locate Ms Bulley but are treating her as ‘missing’. Here MailOnline pieces together her last steps:   

Nicola Bulley’s last known movements have baffled police even six days after she vanished

Ms Bulley would often be seen by other dogwalkers along the route every day with Willow

8.45am – Ms Bulley is understood to have left her £300,000 home in Inskip to drop her two children off at St Michael’s-on-Wyre Church of England Primary School at around 8.30am.

She has then left her car in the Hall Lane area before setting off on her regular walk with Willow, which loops around to finish at the same spot.

Ms Bulley would often be seen by other dogwalkers along the route every day and was noticeable because she would look so smart in her clothes.

Dogwalkers would notice Ms Bulley each day because she would look so smart in her clothes

When Willow was found the dog was dry and they was no sign the animal had been in the water

9.01am –  During her walk, Ms Bulley joins a conference call with her work, but is not on camera and has muted her device and is just listening in.

Ben Pociecha, the director of Exclusively Mortgages, said there was nothing unusual in the fact she was not on screen.

He said: ‘It seems as if she was muted and didn’t have her camera on. She was listening in whilst walking her dog.

‘There were numerous parties involved in this. A lot of people attended the call. The police are investigating the call.’

Dogwalkers seen in the area yesterday. Ms Bulley is a keen walker and would go all week

Ms Bulley would park her car at the school and then take the dog out for a walk in the morning

9.15am – A dogwalker who had been in a nearby field saw her at 9.15am on a footpath by the River Wyre.

The man – who has not been identified – said there had been nothing unusual about her appearance and she was walking her regular route.

He was with another two people in the field and police have spoken to him about what he saw.

His wife told the Times: In the field there were about three people, including my husband. He said there was nothing unusual about her and she seemed completely normal.

‘I’d often see her and say hello. I always thought she looked very nicely dressed, in her bobble hat and smart Wellington boots. It’s just horrible to know she’s missing.’

Ms Bulley’s social media activity demonstrated her fondness for the walk and its surroundings

A man described by police as a ‘key witness’ may have seen Willow running free at 9.20am

9.20am – Nicola is believed to have been seen again by a pensioner in his 70s at this time.

He was walking a small white fluffy dog on a lead and later spoke to another woman, who was also in the area around half an hour later.

MailOnline understands he alerted her to Willow who by now was running free along the bank.

He was called a ‘key witness’ by police yesterday, who have since located and spoke to him. 

This is the bench where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone and Willow’s harness and dog lead were

Searches were carried out by Lancashire Police using drones and police dogs over the week

10am –  The woman who spoke to the pensioner dog walker by now has found Willow on the river bank.

Police say the springer spaniel was unharmed and crucially dry, meaning the dog had not been in the water.

Willow’s lead and dog harness were located on a bench on the river bank.

Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was also laid on the seat and was still connected to the work conference call.

Neighbours have since warned the riverbank was muddy and could have been a risk to falling. 

Paul Ansell, right, reported Ms Bulley, left, missing after someone at the school alerted him

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team and the North West Underwater Search Team have been involved in the hunt for Ms Bulley

10.30am –  Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell says he is alerted by the primary school his partner is missing and their dog found.

He sparks the police investigation by ringing the force to tell it his girlfriend has gone missing.

Mr Anstell told reporters on Monday: ‘I got a call from the school regarding somebody who had found Willow, and Nikki’s phone and the dog lead and harness on the bench.

‘We take the kids to school and take the dog down there – either myself or Nikki – nearly every day.’

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