Nicola Bulley was listed as a “high risk” missing person due to a “number of specific vulnerabilities”, detectives say.

Speaking at a Lancashire Police news conference, senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith, said: “That is normal for a missing person with the information we were in possession of.”

She said they were made aware of these vulnerabilities after speaking to Nicola’s partner, Paul Ansell.

Nicola Bulley updates – Police ‘share more detail than normal to counter speculation’

When asked about what those vulnerabilities were, the detective refused to say.

She said this was out of respect to Ms Bulley’s family and the “unimaginable pain and distress” they are going through.

“But those vulnerabilities based our decision-making in terms of grading Nicola as high risk,” she said.

By grading someone “high risk”, an investigation is granted “focused attention and significant resources” by police, Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson explained.

Also asked to elaborate on Ms Bulley’s “vulnerabilities”, he said he wouldn’t give any further information about them, adding it was “personal, private information”.

Both officers said that based on the intelligence received and reviewed during the course of the investigation so far, “there is not a single piece of information or evidence to suggest there was any third party involvement”.

Ms Smith said that it is still her “main working hypothesis” that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre while walking the family dog, adding that detectives are keeping an open mind on the mother-of-two’s disappearance.

Their other two hypotheses are there could have been third party involvement and that she could have voluntarily left the area.

She added that, “at the moment, through all the information that we have gathered, that the likelihood is that Nicola has unfortunately gone in the river.

“However, I have to stress this because this has been continually misconstrued, I cannot be 100% certain of that at the minute because we are continuing, it’s a live investigation, and there is always information coming in.

“But we are in the 20th day, we have had a thorough, dedicated, meticulous investigation and there is not one single piece of information that’s come to note that would suggest that Nicola has left those fields.”

Detectives are looking through hundreds of hours of CCTV and dashcam footage, with Assistant Chief Constable Lawson describing the scale of the probe into the disappearance is “unprecedented”.

There are 40 detectives involved in the operation who have spoken to more than 300 people and visited over 300 premises in the course of their inquiries.

Detective Superintendent Smith also said they were being “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours” which were “distracting” officers.

Asked if police hoped to find Ms Bulley alive, she said: “I hope with all my heart that we find Nicola Bulley alive more than anything.”

The 45-year-old was last seen on Friday 27 January while walking her dog Willow on a footpath by the River Wyre.

As part of the investigation, police have spoken to a number of witnesses who saw Ms Bulley before she disappeared.

Around a week and a half after she was last seen police said they were looking at 500 pieces of “active information” in the search.

Officers say they have been keeping an open mind but are working on the theory she fell into the River Wyre.

They focused their investigation on a crucial 10-minute window when her movements are unaccounted for – from 9.10am to 9.20am.

However, her partner Paul Ansell doubts the wisdom of focusing on the river search and said: “Personally, I am 100% convinced it’s not the river, that’s my opinion.”

Mr Ansell believes “something happened” on the day of his partner’s disappearance.

He told 5 News two weeks after the day she vanished: “There has to be a way to find out what happened, there has to be. You cannot… you cannot walk your dog down a river and just vanish into thin air.”

Police and an independent underwater rescue team have been unable to locate the mortgage adviser as her family have been experiencing “unprecedented hell” while they wait for answers.

Read more:
Nicola Bulley’s movements before she disappeared
Community ‘in shock’ over dog walker’s disappearance
How local knowledge could help despite ‘toxic’ interest

The river, which winds through the countryside on the edge of St Michael’s on Wyre, has been described as “notoriously dangerous” at this time of year by a representative of St Michael’s Angling Association.

“The combination of the depth and how cold it is at this time of year makes it very dangerous,” the representative told The Times.

A sign on a tree near the bench where Ms Bulley’s phone was found reads: “Danger, deep water.”

Big rocks can be seen jutting out of the river, which appears calm at the sharp drop below the bench where Ms Bulley’s phone was found.

Superintendent Sally Riley told reporters after Ms Bulley went missing: “At the point where the bench is located, there is quite a steep drop to the river, albeit not high. It is steep.

“Therefore, while I don’t want to speculate as to what may have happened, it is our working hypothesis that she has entered the water accidentally.”

She continued: “Anything could have happened with the dog whereby Nicola may have gone – and I don’t wish to speculate, we don’t know – but it is possible the dog was loose and off the lead and that there may have been an issue with the dog that led her to go near to the water’s edge.

“She puts the phone down momentarily and Nicola may have fallen in. That is a possibility,” Supt Riley added.