'Stained' glove found in hunt for missing Nicola Bulley yards from where she vanished
14 February 2023, 23:26 | Updated: 15 February 2023, 12:34
A 'stained' glove has been found in the hunt for missing mum-of-two Nicola Bulley just yards away from where she vanished.
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Ms Bulley, who has been missing for more than two weeks, was walking along a towpath near the river in fields by St Michael’s on Wyre on January 27 when she disappeared.
Only the 45-year-old's pet spaniel and her phone – still connected to her Teams call and left on a bench – was found.
But in a major update for the case, it has been revealed that a "stained" blue ski glove was also discovered in the field where she was last seen.
The key piece of evidence was handed to police and taken away in an evidence bag last week, according to the Sun.
Read more: Nicola Bulley's partner pleads with Mercedes to track missing mum-of-two's car keys
Police originally theorised that Ms Bulley had fallen into the river, but her family and friends were quick to shut the idea down, saying there was "no evidence".
Lancashire Police said it stood by the theory on February 7 - the same day the glove was found by two walkers in the area, and the force is holding a press conference on Wednesday morning at 11.30.
You can watch the press conference live on Global Player.
A video of the discovery was initially shared on TikTok but has since been deleted, according to the paper.
One woman is believed to have said online: “Has anyone heard anything about the glove that was found in the early hours on the field she was last seen on the TikTok live?
“I was watching it live about 1am. A couple went on to the field last night, found a glove there with a stain on it?
"They reported it to the police and bagged it and gave it to an officer."
A witness previously told the paper that he saw two mysterious men on January 26 who "seemed to want to hide their faces".
“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," he said.
“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.
"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."
The witness said he was driving through the village on the day Ms Bulley disappeared and thought he saw them again.
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."
Partner of missing mother Nicola Bulley appeals to public for more information
Meanwhile, Ms Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, is understood to be growing "frustrated" with police over their stalling investigation.
It comes after he recently called for officers to widen their search to all nearby homes and outbuildings.
Mr Ansell told forensic expert Peter Faulding, who is supporting the family, of his frustrations.
"He's got a relationship with the police family liaison officers, but I think he's struggling to get answers that he wants," Mr Faulding told the Mail.
"He's got a line of communication with them, but I think there's a problem.
"He vented his frustrations to the family liaison officers last week in front of me when I was there. He said 'Why can't you go and search buildings in the village?'
"They said they can't because they need a search warrant. He said 'Well, you could just ask them.' People would happily let them in, the whole village is behind him.
"There's a feeling that there's just a lack of imagination and willpower. I don't want to be critical of police, but I'm just giving his thoughts really."
Mr Ansell has also urged Mercedes to track Ms Bulley's car keys as they were never found, despite her car remaining in a nearby car park.
Handwritten messages on yellow ribbons left for missing mother Nicola Bulley
As the search continues, family and friends have been remaining hopeful, with a bridge across the River Wyre adorned with yellow ribbons.
Well-wishers have left hand-written "messages of hope" that she will be found unharmed in the village of St Michael's on Wyre.
Notes left behind included one saying "hope is the last thing ever lost" and another simply reading: "Nikki, I love you, come home".
