'Please don't give up hope': mother of murdered Libby Squire sends moving message of support to Nicola Bulley's partner

14 February 2023, 05:54 | Updated: 14 February 2023, 06:42

Paul Ansell has been urged not to give up hope
Paul Ansell has been urged not to give up hope. Picture: Facebook/Alamy

By Kit Heren

The mother of a woman who was found murdered after going disappearing in 2019 has sent the partner of Nicola Bulley a moving message urging him not to give up hope for the missing mother-of-two's return.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Lisa Squire told Paul Ansell: "Please don't give up hope. Put one foot in front of the other and hope for that positive outcome. 

She added: "It's the not knowing that's so difficult," The Sun reported.

Ms Squire's daughter Libby went missing in January 2019 in Hull aged 21. Her body was found seven weeks later. She had been raped and murdered. Local butcher Pavel Relowicz was convicted of these crimes and sent to prison.

Ms Bulley, a 45-year-old mortgage adviser, disappeared while walking her dog in the quiet village of St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire at 9.15am on January 27.

Read more: Police hunting missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley pay a visit to caravan park yards from river where she was last seen

Police are still trying to find her weeks later, with friends and family determined not to give up hope for her safe return.

Officers hunting for the missing mother-of-two paid a visit to a caravan park, yards from the river where she was last seen.

Uniformed officers were spotted at Wyreside Farm Park Caravan Site, located further along the riverside path in St Michael’s on Wyre where Ms Bulley was last spotted.

Described as a "quiet, family run park", photos published by the Daily Mail show officers visiting the site - which has been the subject of CCTV enquiries in recent days.

Meanwhile a witness in the case of disappearing mother-of-two saw two hooded men trying to hide their faces near where she vanished, according to reports.

Wyreside Farm Park sits on the riverside path Nicola Bulley was last seen on.
Wyreside Farm Park sits on the riverside path Nicola Bulley was last seen on. Picture: LBC / Wyreside Farm Caravan Park

And a witness told the Sun that he saw two mysterious men on January 26 who "seemed to want to hide their faces".

He said: “I first saw the men at around 7.45am on my way to work on the Thursday, the day before Nicola Bulley vanished. I drive that way every day, so know the road well.

“I saw two men wearing dark clothing and hoods or hats and ­carrying fishing rods.“They could have been just two normal fishermen — and if I had seen their faces I probably wouldn’t have thought anything of it.

Read more: 'We won't lose hope': Nicola Bulley's partner still plans to marry her as his 'gut instinct' is 'she's not in river'

Read more: Diving specialist insists Nicola Bulley 'can't be at sea' after distraught partner says 'local is responsible'

"I remembered that they seemed to want to hide their faces, which struck me as odd. It wasn’t particularly cold that day — it was quite mild, so their behaviour, to me, seemed strange.

“At first I thought they must be poachers. You do get poachers on the river, and they don’t want to be seen.

“Obviously at that moment a woman hadn’t gone missing so I didn’t think anything more of it.”

The witness said he was driving through the village on the day Ms Bulley disappeared, and thought he saw them again.

Wyreside Farm Park sits on the riverside path Nicola Bulley was last seen on.
Wyreside Farm Park sits on the riverside path Nicola Bulley was last seen on. Picture: Wyreside Farm Park

He recalled: “It was around the same time, 7.45am.“This time it was just a glimpse, but I definitely saw one of them. I think I saw the second man, who was way ahead of the other, but I have been going over it a lot in my mind and I couldn’t swear my life on it.

“Again, the man I saw was carrying a fishing rod and covering his face.”The witness said the men did not seem to have a tackle or bait box, which he found odd.

He added: “I was away all that weekend so only heard about Nicola Bulley going missing on Sunday. I saw the police were appealing for information and it struck me that I should tell them what I saw, so I rang them on the Monday.”

No one got back to him, he said, so he called again a week later and police finally took his statement on February 8. Officers have now said they are investigating.

It comes as family and friends laid yellow ribbons on a bridge close to where Ms Bulley was last seen, with handwritten messages including “We need you home Nicola”, “praying for your safe return” and “I love you”.

A large poster with a photograph of Ms Bulley has also been attached to the railings.

Neighbour Charlotte Drake wrote this weekend that Paul's strength and resilience are "nothing short of a miracle".

Ribbons with handwritten messages have been left at the site
Ribbons with handwritten messages have been left at the site. Picture: Alamy

She posted on social media: "The strength this man has shown over the past 14 days is nothing short of a miracle. 

"When many would be sat at home waiting for news he is using the media exactly as it should be used, to share the facts, highlight the lack of evidence and spread the word far and wide, so that he can hopefully reach someone that knows something."

"Backing Pauly Ansell all the way to bring Nicola Jane Bulley back to him and their beautiful girls.

"We are all behind you, from our little street."

Police divers and private specialists have scoured the river near where she was last seen, but there has been no trace of her, although her mobile phone and dog were found the same day..

On Friday her partner Paul Ansell said he is "100 per cent" sure that Nicola did not fall into the river, the original theory believed by police.

He also told Channel 5 that he still intends to marry Nicola.

Partner of missing mother Nicola Bulley appeals to public for more information

Paul Ansell said he still has plans to marry missing Nicola Bulley
Paul Ansell said he still has plans to marry missing Nicola Bulley. Picture: Alamy

Paul said: "We talked about it again seriously at the beginning of 2020. And that was when we really started to actually look at getting something sort of in the calendar.

"And then obviously the whole covid thing hit which just, I mean, everybody's life was just thrown up into the air."

Ansell said, despite feeling "anger", "utter frustration" and "confusion", the family will never give up hope of finding Ms Bulley, adding he was "never, ever going to let go".

"Nikki would never give up on us ever. She wouldn't give up on anybody. And we're not gonna ever give up on her like, we're going to find her," he said.

Caller met with 'abuse' and 'threats' in helping to find Nicola Bulley

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Donald Trump signs an executive order imposing tariffs on imported goods

'Liberation Day' explained: What are Trump's tariffs and how will they impact the UK?

The blurry thieves stole £3,000 worth of cigarettes and vapes.

Police release CCTV after thieves steal £3,000 of vapes - but images leave the public calling for 'the ghostbusters'

Julie Goodyear

Julie Goodyear's husband shares rare photo of Coronation Street star two years on from dementia diagnosis

: An aerial view shows the scorched graveyard around a church following a large blaze the previous day, on July 20, 2022 in Wennington, Greater London

Londoners urged not to have barbecues this weekend amid soaring temperatures 'because of wildfire risk'

Lord Sugar labels Trump tariffs 'a disaster' as Apprentice star teases potential US Presidential meeting

Lord Sugar labels Trump tariffs 'a disaster' and warns that the president 'hasn't thought it through'

Mother and two children struck and killed by a vehicle in Brooklyn, New York: driver operating suspended license

Husband left 'utterly bereft' after Brit mum and two daughters killed in New York car crash

The Nintendo Switch 2 will release on June 5, 2025

Nintendo Switch 2: Exciting reveal, but why is it more expensive here?

BRITAIN-FUNERAL-POLICE

Funeral director charged with 64 offences including fraud, theft and preventing 30 lawful burials

swallow-tail

Brits urged to 'stop mowing lawns' amid 'national butterfly crisis' with more than half of species in decline

Kyle Kitchen, 38, murdered eight-week-old Primose Kane

Dad who murdered daughter by violently shaking her as baby is jailed for life

Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations in Gaza

Israel expands ground attack on Gaza to seize 'large areas' - despite pleas from hostage families

Douglas Clifton Brown, 56, tried to kill his estranged wife

Old Etonian who tried to murder his estranged partner by throwing her down a 240ft well is jailed for 24 years

Kaliyah Coa, 11, was reportedly down at the water when she was 'swept away'

Pictured: Missing 11-year-old 'swept away' while paddling in the River Thames

Hot cross buns could be scarce this Easter as farmers continue to protest against Rachel Reeves' 'tractor tax'.

Hot cross bun shortage looms as farmers escalate 'tractor tax' protests

Tanesha Melbourne-Blake was shot

Teenage girl shot dead during gang 'ride-out' following social media humiliation

Mother and two children struck and killed by a vehicle in Brooklyn, New York: driver operating suspended license

Brit mum and daughters, eight and five, killed in crash by driver who said 'I have the devil in me'