Retired detective reveals three reasons she believes Nicola Bulley is in the river

Ex-superintendent says no new evidence has emerged to suggest Ms Bulley is not in the river as she backs official theory

Police investigating the disappearance of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire are right to explore the theory that the mother-of-two is in the River Wyre, a retired detective has said.

Julie Mackay, a former detective inspector at Gloucestershire Police, said no new evidence had emerged to suggest otherwise.

Ms Bulley 45, of Inskip, Lancashire, vanished while walking her dog in a field next to the river in St Michaels on Wyre on the morning of 27 January after dropping her two children off at school.

Her mobile phone and springer spaniel, Willow, were found near a bench in the field.

Despite two sightings of Ms Bulley in the hour leading up to her disappearance and an extensive search of the area police have been unable to find any traces of her.

On Friday Lancashire Constabulary said it was keeping an “open mind” as to what might have happened.

The force said it was continuing to search the river, although the investigation was being focused further downstream to an area where it becomes tidal.

Ms Mackday said she believed there were three main reasons why she believes the mother-of-two was in the river.

A police search and rescue team retrieve their boat after searching the banks of the River Wyre (Getty Images)

These were that no new information has given them a reason to think otherwise; it is unlikely to be criminal because of the time of day she disappeared; the winter conditions would make it harder to find her.

"I still believe she’s gone in that river - today when you look at the last two weeks and review it, nothing has changed,” she told The Daily Mirror.

"It’s not as unusual as you think. If she’s then sadly gone over that Wyre it becomes tidal and then the possibility that she’s gone out to sea is still quite possible.”

Over the weekend it was reported that detectives working on the case had visited a garage near St Michael’s Church to request CCTV footage and take statements from staff.

Nicola Bulley apparently vanished while walking her dog (Family handout/PA Wire)

A witness has also told police he saw two men acting suspiciously near the route that Ms Bulley regularly walked her dog on the day before her disappearance.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said the “hooded” men were “carrying fishing rods” and “were trying to hide their faces”.

“It was very strange. It made me uneasy,” the witness told The Sun.

The two men were spotted at around 7.45am on the day before Ms Bulley vanished. The witness said “they could just have been two normal fishermen” but “they seemed to want to hide their faces, which struck me as odd”.