Nicola Bulley‘s concerned family have issued a fresh statement to mark the three-week date since she went missing.
The 45-year-old Lancashire mum-of-two was last seen walking her dog Willow on a riverside footpath on Friday 27 January at around 9:20am, and a huge search effort has been taking place ever since in the area around Garstang Road near the village of St. Michael’s on Wyre.
Both Nicola’s dog and her phone – which was still connected to a work conference call – were found on a bench along the river on the morning she went missing.
Nicola is described as white, 5ft 3ins tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair, and she speaks with an Essex accent.
Lancashire Police says it “remains committed to doing everything we can to find [Nicola]”.
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“Our sole focus throughout the investigation has been to find Nicola, to bring her home, and to support her family through the trauma they are experiencing,” Lancashire Police insisted yesterday.
“The most important person in all of this is Nicola.”
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The police’s insistence of its commitment to doing everything in their power to find Nicola comes after it was confirmed yesterday that the Constabulary had referred itself to watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, over contact officers had with Nicola prior to her disappearance.
It also comes after it was revealed earlier this week that Nicola was considered to be ‘high-risk’ at the time of her disappearance.
Police chose to state that the ‘high-risk’ classification was due to the missing woman having “significant issues with alcohol”, and the fact she was struggling with side effects of the perimenopause and menopausal symptoms.
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Nicola’s family say they were “aware” ahead of time that the police were going to release such information, but after growing controversy, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has this morning demanded an “explanation” over the force’s decision to reveal details of her private life.
Now, exactly three weeks to the day of her disappearance, Nicola’s family have issued a statement to urge the public that their “focus has to be on finding her”.
Their statement reads: :It has now been three weeks since Nikki went missing.
“We, as a family, believe that the public focus has become distracted from finding Nikki, and more about speculation and rumours into her and Paul’s private life. As a family, we were aware beforehand that Lancashire Police, last night, released a statement with some personal details about our Nikki.
“Although we know that Nikki would not have wanted this, there are people out there speculating and threatening to sell stories about her.
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“This is appalling and needs to stop.
“The police know the truth about Nikki and now the public need to focus on finding her. Due to the perimenopause, Nikki suffered with significant side effects such as brain fog, restless sleep and was taking HRT to help, but this was giving her intense headaches, which caused her to stop taking the HRT, thinking that may have helped her – but only ended up causing this crisis.”
45-year-old Nicola Bulley went missing on Friday 27 January 2023 / Credit: Nicola Bulley
“The public’s focus has to be on finding her and not making up wild theories about her personal life,” the family’s statement continued.
“Despite what some media outlets and individuals are suggesting, we are being updated daily and receive support from our family liaison officers.”
Nicola’s family closed out their statement speaking directly to their “wonderful daughter, sister, partner, and mother” directly.
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“Nikki, we hope you are reading this and know that we love you so much and your girls want a cuddle. We all need you home. You can reach out to us, or you can contact MissingPeople.org.uk. Don’t be scared, we all love you so very much.
A young lad is walking all the way from Manchester to Ibiza for a truly tear-jerking cause
Danny Jones
We recently came across the story of a young man who has set himself the task of walking all the way from Manchester to Ibiza in an effort to raise money for a truly tear-jerking charitable cause.
In case you haven’t heard of him already, the legend responsible behind this is Henry Oscar Moores, a 21-year-old from Macclesfield in Cheshire who is essentially completing a marathon every single day to complete his voyage from rainy 0161 to sunny Spain.
Nearly halfway into his epic trek already, the youngster has been battling plenty of obstacles, not least heavy rain – and that was just here in Greater Manchester…
Going live each day as thousands of followers tune in to support his latest steps, his real-world journey has sparked a wholesome new community online and we’ve got nothing but the utmost respect.
It’s set to take him around 60 days in total, all being well, but what exactly is Henry Moores doing all this for? Or rather who?
Well, the answer is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, as the ‘Henry Walk’ from Manchester to Ibiza is all in aid of the Tony Hudgell Foundation, a charity set up in honour of the now nine-year-old boy of the same name and the youngest ever Pride of Britain winner.
Hudgell was sadly the victim of horrific child abuse ever since he was a toddler, so much so that he had to have both of his legs amputated as a result of the treatment. In 2020, when he was still just five, Tony set out to raise £500 by walking 10k in his prosthetic legs. He ended up amassing £1.8m. Incredible.
With a non-profit officially registered in his name since 2021, the organisation aims to provide support to children affected by physical, emotional or psychological abuse. His story also helped usher in Tony’s Law. Now taking over the reins, Henry is pounding the pavement on his behalf – and smashing it.
He’s even been given an added incentive by Ibiza’s Ocean Beach owner, Wayne Lineker.
Promising to help Henry finish the walk if he makes it all the way to his final 30k leg in Ibiza Town to the famous club – he’s already polished off the 507km from Manchester to Portsmouth and is currently chipping away at the 1818km stint from Caen in France to Denia – Lineker and the likes of radio DJ Charlie Sloth have been backing the effort since day one.
Describing Tony as an inspirational young figure “who captures hearts with his bravery, optimism, and infectious smile”, even despite his daily struggle and constant treatment, we can’t overstate the admiration we have for both of them. He’s already smashed his initial £20k and just keeps going.
“We really appreciate any donations; we know times are tough. Don’t hesitate if you can’t donate; continue to share and support us in any other way. Thanks to everyone for the past couple of weeks; it’s been insane.” You can do your bit by donating HERE or to Tony Hudgell’s operation fund directly.
Featured Images — Henry Moores (via Instagram)/JustGiving
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Bolton has been named the ‘mouldiest’ place in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Bolton has been named the ‘mouldiest’ place in the UK, and it’s joined by two other Greater Manchester towns in the top 10.
Talk about a not-so-coveted title, right?
From damp flats to poorly-ventilated houses, the battle against mould seems to be constant for many UK residents, and while Awaab’s Law – which was named in memory of Rochdale toddler, Awaab Ishak, and introduced back in 2023 – was brought in to tackle this very problem, by mandating faster response times from social housing landlords for dealing with damp-related issues, the problem still continues for homeowners and tenants alike despite this new legislation.
And now, some new research by thermal imaging experts at Tester has revealed where the ‘mouldiest’ places to live in the UK are.
Bolton has been named the ‘mouldiest’ place in the UK / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
Tester measured the average monthly search volume for various mould-related terms over the past 12 months – including ‘mould removal cost’, and ‘black mould removal’ – to figure out where the mouldiest places in the country are, and devise a top 10 list.
Bolton takes the title of the UK’s mouldiest place, according to the new research, with an average monthly search volume for mould-related terms of 945 per 100,000 people, and ‘magic mould’ being the most-searched term as residents seem eager to find a simple solution to their ever-growing mould problems.
Top 10 ‘mouldiest’ places in the UK
Bolton
Croydon
Manchester
Bath
Bristol
Lincoln
Bournemouth
Norwich
Stockport
Wakefield
Manchester places third on the list, with an average monthly search volume of 922 per 100,000 people, and Stockport also features in the less-than-ideal top 10 at number nine.
Croydon in London claims the runner-up spot on the list, while Bath and Bristol round out the top five alongside Manchester, and Lincoln, Norwich, and Wakefield are some of the other areas to make up the top 10.
A spokesperson for Tester admitted that the surge in searches for mould-related terms in the UK is “worrying to say the least”.
Speaking on the findings from the team’s new research, they continued in a statement: “The study shows that UK residents are actively seeking out mould removal solutions, pointing to a wider problem of mould and mildew growth in homes not being properly dealt with, either by landlords or homeowners themselves.”