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Police search abandoned home near where missing Nicola Bulley’s phone was found
Officers have tracked down a man who they believe to be a ‘potentially key witness’.
In a huge search operation to find missing Lancashire mum-of-two Nicola Bulley, police have now scoured an abandoned house close to where she was last seen.
Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared after she left her home in Inskip to walk her dogs on Friday morning January 27th. She was walking her pet Springer Spaniel, Willow, along the river towpath off Garstang Road, in St Michael’s on Wyre and was last sighted at 9.15am by a member of the public.
Her mobile phone was found on a bench connected to a conference call and her dog was left roaming loose close to the same bench by the River Wyre. Rescuers have searched an abandoned home located on the opposite side of the river and the site where she left Willow and her phone.
It comes after police confirmed today they have tracked down a man who they believe to be a ‘potentially key witness’, describing him as around 70-years-old, white, six feet tall and well-built.
He is said to have ‘spoken to a woman in the area’ before walking in the direction of Rowanwater. Lancashire officers are now speaking to him to see what information he can provide.
Police said previously there was no evidence of any criminal activity or that Nicola had been attacked. It is understood Nicola had dropped her two young children off at St Michael’s-on-Wyre Church of England Primary School, and leaving her car parked nearby, went on the walk with her dog.
Kev Camplin, of Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue, led a team of 25 trained volunteers on the day Nicola – known as Nikki – went missing. Speaking to the Mirror, he said: “The abandoned house is right opposite the bench on the other side of the river, over a 10ft garden wall. It’s quite posh.
“We didn’t go into the house. As a volunteer search and rescue team, we don’t actually go into buildings. We might go into a barn or something. We leave that to the police. While the team was searching the grounds, the owner was there for some reason, and we asked him to go in and he had a quick look around and she wasn’t there.”
The team used equipment including a pickup truck and trailer in-tow, carrying floatation devices. One of their Land Rovers, which stores medical kits, broke down during the search.
All the volunteers carry mountain rescue radios and are coordinated by an operator inside a control van with mapping systems. Kev said the team was contacted at around midday on Friday and he was at the search site within an hour, before they left at about 8pm.
“We probably searched a mile north upstream and then we probably searched three miles downstream. We covered quite a bit,” he said.
Kev said his team only gets called out to ‘high risk’ cases that are not considered dangerous; for example, suspected criminals on the run. “We only go to despondents, and suicidal cases and people with dementia – and people who are generally lost,” he added.
“Nicola lives in Inskip, about three miles from where she went walking. She drops her kids off at St Michaels and then apparently she walks eastwards to where the woods and the river are, something she does daily with her dog. So it’s not an unknown area for her, and it is a popular area for walkers and dog walkers alike. It’s actually quite a beautiful spot”, Kev said.
“Leaving the phone on the bench and then disappearing, it is quite odd. We don’t normally get that. Sometimes we go to a search, classed as a lowland search. You do get a car… where somebody has left their car. That’s the initial planning point.
“But her car was at the school and her phone was the initial planning point. Later we find out she was on a team’s work call. We didn’t know that on Friday. I knew the phone was there, but not on a work call.”
Police dive teams, fire service drones, search dogs, helicopters and mountain rescue volunteers have all been deployed to the area to carry out extensive searches. Officers say they are also supporting Nicola’s family and remain in close contact with them.
News
Police appeal for witnesses after woman killed in Greater Manchester crash
The incident has left many in shock in the Bromley Cross area
Police have made an appeal for witnesses after a woman was killed in a major crash in Greater Manchester.
The three-car smash happened in Bromley Cross, Bolton on Thursday March 30th just before 11.50am.
Greater Manchester Police officers are now asking to speak to anyone who witnessed the accident on Darwen Road which left one woman dead and a man and a woman hospitalised with serious injuries.
The force are appealing for any dashcam, CCTV and doorbell footage to be submitted.
Sergeant Phillip Collingwood of GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “This was an extremely tragic incident in which someone has lost their life and two others have sustained serious injuries.
“Our thoughts remain with the families affected who are being supported by specialist officers.
“No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing. If you can help, then please contact our Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741, quoting incident 1304 of 30/03/2023.”
As reported in The Bolton News, since the crash, tributes have been paid to the woman who tragically lost her life yesterday afternoon.
The incident saw Darwen Road shut for hours while police, paramedics and ambulance helicopters were in attendance at the scene.
Two cars were seen heavily damaged following the crash as Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service worked swiftly to cut people out of the vehicles.
The incident has left many in shock in the Bromley Cross area.
Information can also be reported online at www.gmp.police.uk. Alternatively, details can be passed via 101 or anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
News
Paul O’Grady’s husband shares last photo they took together
‘Unbeknownst to us back in January this would be our last ever holiday together’
Paul O’Grady’s husband Andre Portasio has spoken out and shared the last photo the couple took together.
Producer Portasio confirmed the death of his partner O’Grady earlier this week. The national treasure died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ on Tuesday evening aged 67. Portasio has shared a photograph of the two of them enjoying a holiday together as he revealed it was the last ever picture they shared together.
He thanked well-wishers and said he’s been ‘touched’ by all their support. In a post shared to his Instagram page on Thursday, Portasio wrote: “In time I hope to write to everyone individually and thank you for all posts, messages, phone calls, emails, cards and flowers of support.
“I much appreciate you all taking the time to reach out. I’m so very touched and I’m sure Paul would be too! Browsing for a picture I found the last picture we ever took together. “Unbeknownst to us back in January this would be our last ever holiday together.”
Alongside the caption he posted a picture of the pair sat on a boat together smiling in the sunshine. The couple married in 2017.
Addressing his husband’s death earlier this week, Portasio said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.
“We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss.”
Hours earlier, O’Grady’s close friend Linda Thorson revealed the star died in his own bed with his husband by his side.
ITV has confirmed they will go ahead, as originally planned, and air O’Grady’s new series of For The Love of Dogs next month. The 11th series of the popular show was filmed late last year at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and will begin on Thursday 13th April at 8:30pm on ITV1.
News
Man who discovered James Bulger’s body dies in custody
He discovered the toddler’s body when he was just 14-years-old
The man who discovered the body of James Bulger has died in police custody.
James Riley, 44, discovered the toddler’s lifeless body when he was a teenager. He was with his brother Terrence Riley on a railway line in Liverpool in 1993 when they came across the horrific discovery —he was just 14 at the time, The Liverpool Echo reports.
Mr Riley was taken into custody at St Anne Street Police Station in Liverpool at around 9.45pm on March 14th 2023. He stayed the night in a cell but at around 5pm the next day, police staff found him lying on the floor needing medical attention.
They called for an emergency ambulance but when at the hospital, Mr Riley was confirmed dead. Mr Riley had a string of over 40 convictions for a range of offences.
His family say this was a result of trauma caused by his discovery of James’ body. Two-year-old James was abducted by two 10-year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, who tortured and murdered him in a crime that shook the UK.
In February 1993, grainy CCTV images showed James being led out of Bootle’s Strand Shopping Centre by the schoolboys. They led him to the disused Walton & Anfield railway station, near Walton Lane police station, where they committed the horrific act.
In May 2017, James Riley was sentenced to two years and four months behind bars after admitting a spate of commercial burglaries.
Sarah Holt, defending him in that case, said: “He has been a drug addict for a considerable period of time – all his adult life and in fact, most of his adolescence.
“His problems can be traced back to when he was 14, when he experienced a very traumatic event. It was an event I suggest that meant he is suffering from PTSD, though not diagnosed. He never sought counselling, he tells me.
“That led him at 14 to try crack cocaine and his problems really spiralled from thereon in.”
In 2021 Mr Riley was found dumped in a street wearing just his underwear and holding a knife after a gang sought money for a debt he owed.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court previously heard that what he encountered in 1993 left a lasting impact on his life. The court heard how Riley suffered with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of finding James’ body.
The Independent Office for Police Custody (IOPC) is now investigating Riley’s death. IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “This was a tragic incident in which a man has sadly died and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
“Merseyside Police referred this matter to us, and as he was in the custody of police at the time he became unwell, it is important there is a thorough and independent investigation.
“We will examine all relevant matters including the interaction officers had with the man on the street, and what happened after he arrived at the custody suite. We have made contact with his family to explain our role and will update them as our enquiries progress.”
Merseyside Police said previously officers are fully cooperating with the IOPC. A spokesperson for the force said: “We are aware that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the death of a 44-year-old man in police custody in Liverpool on Wednesday, March 15th.
“The force’s Professional Standards Department mandatorily referred the matter to the IOPC following the sad news that the man had passed away and we are fully cooperating with their investigation team. His next of kin have been informed and Merseyside Police would like to offer its condolences to the family for their loss.”
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