Nicola Bulley's distraught young daughters in heartbreaking plea six days after disappearance: 'We just want mummy home'

The two daughters of a missing Nicola Bulley say they “just want their mummy home” after she vanished six days ago.

Nine-year-old Harriet and six-year-old Sophia broke down in tears when their distraught dad Paul Ansell, 44, told them “Mummy’s lost”.

The 45-year-old went missing after dropping her children at school on Friday morning and then taking her dog for a walk along a riverbank in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

Yesterday police spoke to a key witness while the emergency services searched the area near the river.

Bulley’s friend Emma White spoke for her two heartbroken daughters and said: “We just want her home.

Extensive searches have been carried out as part of the investigation to find Nicola Bulley
Peter Byrne

“We’ve got two little girls wanting their mummy, so if anyone has any information please just come forward.”

Officers say Bulley’s phone was found on a bench near the riverbank, which was connected to a work call while the dog was found loose between the river and the bench.

Her mum Dorothy, 72, told how her daughter’s partner broke the worrying news to their daughters at the weekend.

She said: “It’s just awful. Paul had to tell the girls what was going on.

“He just told them, ‘Mummy’s lost’. It’s heartbreaking.”

As part of the investigation an unoccupied house has been searched near to where she disappeared and yesterday police said they were “especially keen” to speak to a man aged around 70 who was in the area at the time.

Officers added that they were keeping an “open mind” about the mum’s disappearance.

In a statement, her family said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from our community and would like to thank everyone for their ongoing efforts to help us find Nicola.

“The girls are desperate to have their mummy back home safe with them and your ongoing efforts have provided comfort to them whilst we await news on Nicola.

“We ask for anyone who thinks they may have any information that may help the police find Nicola to please come forward and help them with their inquiries.”

The family dog was found between the river and a bench where Bulley's phone was found
Peter Byrne

Drones, search dogs and a force helicopter, along with support from the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue, the Lancashire fire service and the North West underwater search team are carrying out extensive searches.

The alarm was raised after a friend who runs a local caravan park spotted the family’s brown springer spaniel Willow running free.

Supt Sally Riley said: “We remain extremely concerned for Nicola and we continue to do everything we can to try to find her and to provide some answers for her family, who are obviously beside themselves with worry.”

The mum is 5ft 3ins, with light brown shoulder-length hair and speaks with an Essex accent.

She was last seen wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive-green ankle wellies. Her hair was in a ponytail.