Bring Nikki Home: Friends of the missing mum launch ‘final push’ to find her

Last night, the family and friends of the missing Nicola Bulley launched a ‘final push’ on social media under the banner ‘Bring Nikki Home’.

Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her springer spaniel Willow along the River Wyre in Lancashire after dropping her two young daughters off at school just over two weeks ago.

A photograph of Nicola against a gold background alongside two yellow hearts was shared online by her partner, sister and close friend Emma White, who insisted that “the search continues to find that vital information to find Nikki.” She urged the public to “turn Facebook yellow” with the image.

Another close family friend said: ‘Paul [Ansell, Nicola’s partner] and the rest of the family doesn’t want the momentum to fade, so they’re launching this new campaign to drive home the message that we still need to keep looking.

‘It’s one last push and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got. Giving up hope is not an option.

Ansell, 44, has said he is “100%” convinced the missing mother did not fall into the river, although Lancashire police believe the most likely theory is that she fell into the icy water and drowned.

When a new video surfaced yesterday showing Nicola sledding with one of her daughters while Willow played in the snow, friends responded to social media’s “ridiculous” criticism of Mr Ansell for apparently not showing enough emotion during television interviews and appeals. In one, he gave a fleeting smile, drawing insults from the trolls.

But speaking to The Mail on Sunday, close friend Heather Gibbons insisted: “He showed no emotion because he didn’t want his girls to see him mangled on national television.”

His girls are the priority. When you have a multitude of cameras pointing at you, that’s pretty stressful. Then there’s the knowledge that the interview will be broadcast on national television with people scrutinizing you. Think how that must be for the poor man.

“When a TV interviewer asked me what Nikki is like, my first thought was to smile and that’s because when I think of Nikki, she is so lovely that it makes me want to smile. But I can’t even bring myself to smile at the good memories because I’m afraid someone will take a screenshot of that moment, like they did with Paul, and tear me apart.

Paul Ansell, 44, has said he is “100%” convinced the missing mother did not fall into the river, although Lancashire police believe the most likely theory is that she fell into the icy water and drowned.

Police search and rescue teams are still combing the River Wyre, several miles downriver from the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, where Nicola went missing on the morning of Friday, January 27.

And hunting has also spread to the Irish Sea. A boat with two officers on board was in the water in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, and an orange rescue boat has been sweeping the river off Knott End-on-Sea, at the mouth of the Wyre.

A former RNLI lifeboat commander, with vast experience in search and rescue operations, told The Mail on Sunday that Nicola’s body may still be in the river. ‘There are many reasons why her body could get caught, for example, it could get caught in a whirlpool and be held for hours.

‘For this reason it is very difficult to estimate how long it would take to reach the open sea. The activity that we are seeing at the mouth of the river is known as “portería”. A team will deploy to a point where the body is believed to have not yet arrived and wait for it to appear. But there’s so much uncertainty in something like this and the body could already have been lost.

He added: “I know the authorities are doing everything they can, but if the body is already at sea, it may not be found for weeks or months.” Or, frankly, it may never be found. In the absence of conclusive evidence, or indeed any evidence at all, family and friends cling to the hope that she will be found alive.

In her statement, Emma White said: “Thank you for all the kind words, prayers and thoughts for Nikki’s family and friends… What we do have is love and strength fueled by hope, please share the love and # BringNikkiHome – Turn Yellow Facebook!

A new video surfaced yesterday showing Nicola jumping on a sled with one of her daughters while Willow plays in the snow.

Friends have hit back at ‘ridiculous’ social media criticism of Mr Ansell for apparently not showing enough emotion during TV interviews and appeals. In one, he gave a fleeting smile, drawing insults from the trolls.

Last night thousands of social media users copied and distributed the yellow BringNikkiHome sign.

Some of Nicola’s friends spoke of their concern about the semester, which begins tomorrow, and how it might affect their daughters, aged six and nine, who have been attending school normally since their mother disappeared. “School has been a distraction, although they’ve gotten angry there, too,” said a friend.

In a television interview with Channel 5 on Friday, Ansell said: “All I can do is tell them that they are all looking for mum.” And Ms Gibbons added: “I’ve seen their little girls grow up and they need mum at home.”

they need it. Nikki’s family’s main goal is to find her, but they also have to protect these girls and keep things stable so they feel safe.

School mom Nadia Fell, 39, also lashed out at the torrent of misinformed speculation on social media. “I’m sick of people on TikTok and their speculation and rumors of, well, you know, maybe he’s had enough of life and now he’s gone. She just wouldn’t, ever.

‘Those girls are Nikki’s absolute world and they came first above all. She would not go and leave them. I saw Nikki at school that Friday morning, the morning she disappeared. I saw her go back to her car to look for the dog. I’m still trying to come to terms with how things can change so quickly.

Mrs. Fell’s youngest daughter and Nicola’s youngest daughter are best friends and the two mothers forged a friendship.

Ms Fell added: ‘Nikki is so lovely. She was one of those people at the center of school life.