Retracing Nicola Bulley’s last known movements: Video tracks missing mother’s journey along river to bench where her phone was found after she vanished without a trace

This video retraces the last known journey of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley who mysteriously vanished during a 25-minute window last week. 

The hunt for the mortgage adviser, 45, entered a seventh day today as specialist diving teams continued their attempts to trace her on Thursday.

Specialist search teams and sniffer dogs were pictured returning to the river today amid fears Ms Bulley could have slipped and been swept downstream. 

Below, MailOnline’s video revisits the last known movements of Nicola Bulley:

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Pictures taken this afternoon show an officer standing guard by a small mud path near to where Nicola Bulley disappeared

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Pictured: The riverside bench where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was later recovered. Nearby stands a danger sign warning of deep water

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Nicola Bulley’s partner, Paul, tried to gently break the news of her disappearance to their two daughters, who are now confused and continuing to ask their grandparents when she is coming home

8.45am – Ms Bulley is understood to have left her £300,000 home in the picturesque village of Inskip to drop her two children off at St Michael’s-on-Wyre Church of England Primary School at around 8.30am.

Her family said the route was like clockwork for the mother-of-two, having parked her car there ‘1000 times’ as part of a daily routine walking the dog through the field

Nicola would have left her car in the Hall Lane car park before setting off on her regular walk with Willow, which loops around to finish at the same spot.

The pair would have trudged out together before turning left and crossing Hall Lane by the primary school to begin her walk.

Ms Bulley would often be seen by other dogwalkers along the route every day and was noticeable because she would look so smart in her clothes.

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Nicola Bulley’s last known movements have baffled police even six days after she vanished

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A search dog from Lancashire Police and a crew from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service search the River Wyre

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Police search the perimeter of a deserted house as the operation enters its seventh day

8.50am – At around this time, Ms Bulley and Willow would be passing by the grounds of the Grade I St Michael’s Church, just off Blackpool Lane – a stone’s throw from where she parked.

They then cut down a side street by the church, cross a large metal bridge over the River Wyre, and continue along a narrow footpath running parallel to the river.

Willow and another dog briefly interact as another dogwalking witness, who has spoken to the police, leaves the field they were on via the river path.

It later emerged that around 8.53am, Ms Bulley sent an email to her boss, Ben Pociecha before logging onto a Teams call eight minutes later.

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Two officers help a police diver up a river bank where searches are continuing for missing mother Nicola Bulley on Thursday afternoon

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Rescue teams scoured the area near Garstang Roadfor clues over the 45-year-old’s mysterious disappearance last week

9.01am – At around the 10 minute mark of a brisk walk, they would pass through a meal gate and arrive next to the wooden bench where the missing mother-of-two was last seen.

Around now, Ms Bulley joins a conference call with her work colleagues, but is not on camera and has muted her device and is just listening in.

Ben Pociecha, the director of Exclusively Mortgages, said there was nothing unusual in the fact she was not on screen.

He said: ‘It seems as if she was muted and didn’t have her camera on. She was listening in whilst walking her dog.

‘There were numerous parties involved in this. A lot of people attended the call. The police are investigating the call.’

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Ms Bulley’s daughters ‘cried their eyes out’ as their father Paul Ansell tried to console them while stricken with fear and grief himself

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A poster from Lancashire Police asks for information in the search for missing woman Nicola Bulley

9.15am – A dogwalker who had been in a nearby field saw her at 9.15am on a footpath by the River Wyre alongside her spaniel Willow.

The night before her disappearance, she had been planning a spa trip with her sister, Louise, and discussing what treatments they’d get – according to her mother, Dot.

The witness – who has not been identified – said there had been nothing unusual about her appearance and she was walking her regular route.

But the dogwalker, described as a ‘key witness’ by police yesterday, may have been the last person to see Nicola at around 9.15am on Friday.

He was with another two people in the field and police have spoken to him about what he saw.

His wife told the Times: ‘In the field there were about three people, including my husband. He said there was nothing unusual about her and she seemed completely normal.

‘I’d often see her and say hello. I always thought she looked very nicely dressed, in her bobble hat and smart Wellington boots. It’s just horrible to know she’s missing.’

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Ms Bulley’s social media activity demonstrated her fondness for the walk and its surroundings

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A search dog from Lancashire Police and a crew from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service search the River Wyre

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A man described by police as a ‘key witness’ may have seen Willow running free at 9.20am

9.20am – Nicola is believed to have been seen again by a pensioner in his 70s at this time.

He was walking a small white fluffy dog on a lead and later spoke to another woman, who was also in the area around half an hour later.

MailOnline understands he alerted her to Willow who by now was running free along the bank.

He was called a ‘key witness’ by police yesterday, who have since located and spoke to him.

The Teams call Nicola had dialled into ended at 9.30am, but police have since said she remained logged onto the call.

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The search continues in St Michaels on Wyre for Nicola Bulley, who was last seen on Friday morning

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The bench where Ms Bulley is thought to have left her mobile phone before she vanished

In November Ms Bulley said how visibility on her dog walk had been poor as well as spooky

10am –  The woman who spoke to the pensioner by now has found Willow on the river bank.

A local told MailOnline: ‘I know the woman who found Willow. She said the dog was near the river bank and close to the bench that Nicola’s phone was found.’

Police say the springer spaniel was unharmed and crucially dry, meaning the dog had not been in the water. Witnesses described the dog as having been in ‘an agitated state’.

Willow’s lead and dog harness were located on a bench on the river bank.

Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was also laid on the seat and was still connected to the work conference call.

Neighbours have since warned the riverbank was muddy and could have been a risk to falling.

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Police search a bank alongside the River Wyre close to where the missing mother of two was last seen on Friday morning

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Ms Bulley was last seen walking her spaniel Willow at about 9.15am last Friday along the River Wyre in Lancashire, while dialled into a business call

10.30am –  Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell says he is alerted by the primary school his partner is missing and their dog found.

He sparks the police investigation by ringing the force to tell it his girlfriend has gone missing.

Mr Anstell told reporters on Monday: ‘I got a call from the school regarding somebody who had found Willow, and Nikki’s phone and the dog lead and harness on the bench.

‘We take the kids to school and take the dog down there – either myself or Nikki – nearly every day.’