Mystery Hooded Men near Missing Woman’s Dog-Walking Route

HomeNewsMystery Hooded Men near Missing Woman's Dog-Walking Route

A WITNESS who observed two men acting suspiciously near the dog walking route of missing Nicola Bulley said last night, “They were trying to conceal their faces.”

The locals reported that they were carrying fishing rods and wore hoods or hats that obscured their faces.

He added, “It was quite peculiar. It made me feel uneasy

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted police but claimed it took them nine days to respond and take his statement.

Mother of two Nicola, 45, vanished on January 27 near a river in St. Michael’s on Wyre, Lancs, leaving her cell phone on a bench and her dog Willow nearby.

Yesterday, her partner, Paul Ansell, joined her family and friends in turning their social media yellow and tying yellow ribbons to a footbridge to beg for her return.

“I first saw them around 7:45 a.m. on my way to work on Thursday, the day before Nicola Bulley vanished,” the witness stated. I’m driving that route daily, so I am familiar with it.

“I observed two men carrying fishing rods and dressed in dark clothing with hoods or hats.

ALSO READ: New Developments in Nicola Bulley Missing Person Case: Suspicious Men & New CCTV Evidence

“They could have been two ordinary fishermen, and if I had seen their faces, I wouldn’t have given them a second thought.

“However, I recalled that they appeared to be hiding their faces, which struck me as odd.

“That day wasn’t particularly cold; in fact, it was quite mild, so their behavior seemed odd to me.

“Initially, I assumed they were poachers. There are poachers on the river, and they avoid being seen.

A woman had not gone missing at that time, so I did not give it any further thought.

The next day, the witness was driving through the village again when he spotted one of the men, who were now closer to the bridge.

“It was around the same time, 7:45 a.m.,” he recalled. This time, I only caught a brief glimpse of them, but I did see one of them.

“I believe I saw the second man, who was way ahead of the first, but I’ve gone over it so many times in my mind that I couldn’t swear on my life.

“The man I saw again was carrying a fishing rod and had his face covered.”

The witness found it odd that the men did not appear to have a tackle or bait box.

He continued, “I was away for the entire weekend and didn’t learn about Nicola Bulley’s disappearance until Sunday.

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I saw that the police were seeking information and it occurred to me that I should tell them what I had seen, so I called them on Monday.

The witness stated that no one had returned his call, so he followed up on Friday.

After a week, he called again the following Monday.

He stated, “I couldn’t comprehend it; a woman is missing, and I’ve seen these men in the area; why haven’t they called me?”

The witness stated that it took nine days before he was finally contacted by officers to provide a full account.

He stated, “They called me back last Wednesday and took all of my information.”

It would have been much better if I had been contacted immediately when the information was still fresh in my mind.

Police have been given new surveillance footage from a garage covering the 24 hours before Nicola was last seen.

Thursday, detectives visited St. Michael’s Garage in the small village to request surveillance footage from the day before her disappearance.

Lancashire Police had already combed the area for camera footage and dashcam footage from January 27, Nicola’s last known whereabouts.

Nicola vanished after dropping off her two children at a local elementary school and walking Willow along the river.

ALSO READ: Nicola Bulley: Third Week of Hunt Uncovers Insights from Partner’s Interview

She was last seen at 9:10 a.m. in a field along the River Wyre.

Twenty-five minutes later, a local businesswoman discovered her mobile phone on a bench by the river, and her dog was running free.

She may have fallen inadvertently into the River Wyre and been swept out to the Irish Sea, but police are “open to all other lines of inquiry.”

The search for the 45-year-old mortgage consultant continued yesterday.

Partner Paul, 44, is “100%” convinced that the missing mother did not fall into the river and drown, whereas Lancashire Police are certain she did fall into the water and drown.