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The partner of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley has said it is as though “she has vanished into thin air”.

Speaking near the scene where the mother-of-two was last seen, Paul Ansell said he will “never lose hope”, one week after she disappeared.

He also said he kept playing “every scenario” in his head “around and around” and that his focus was on supporting their two daughters.

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Signs displayed for missing Nicola Bulley

The search is continuing for the 45-year-old, whose phone was found on a bench still connected to a work call and with her springer spaniel dog running loose.

She was last seen on 27 January at about 9.10am on a path by the River Wyre in the Lancashire village of St Michael’s on Wyre.

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Police believe Nicola Bulley fell into the River Wyre

Ms Bulley, 45, a mortgage adviser, had just dropped her two young daughters, aged six and nine, at school.

Mr Ansell said: “I don’t know how I am coping. I don’t want to think about that. I am just focused on the girls.”

More on Nicola Bulley

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Nicola’s girls ‘are really missing her’

The 44-year-old engineer added: “Every single scenario comes to a brick wall. Every single one of them.

“All we are doing is sitting there going round and round and round through each scenario.

He went on: “We’re never, ever going to lose hope, of course we’re not, but it is as though she has vanished into thin air.

“It’s just insane.”

Timeline of Nicola’s disappearance

Lancashire Constabulary has now confirmed Nicola’s movements in the run-up to her disappearance on Friday 27 January.

8.43am – Ms Bulley walked along the path by the River Wyre, having dropped her children off at school.

8:47am – A dog-walker – somebody who knows Ms Bulley – saw her walking around the lower field with her dog. Their two dogs interacted briefly before the witness left the field via the river path.

8.53am – Ms Bulley sent an email to her boss.

9.01am – Ms Bulley logged into a work conference call on Microsoft Teams.

9.10am – A witness – someone who knows Ms Bulley – saw her on the upper field walking her dog, Willow. The dog was not in its harness and off its lead. This is the last confirmed sighting of Ms Bulley.

9.20am – Police believe Nicola’s phone was left on a bench by the river.

9.30am – The conference call ended but Ms Bulley stayed logged on.

9.33am – Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was found on the bench by another dog walker. Her dog was found running between the bench and a gate to the field. The dog’s harness was found on the grass between the bench and the river’s edge. This witness then made inquiries as to who owned the phone and spoke with people who recognised the dog as Ms Bulley’s.

10.50am – Ms Bulley’s family and the school her children attend were alerted about the situation. Lancashire Constabulary said they believe Ms Bulley fell into the river and their investigation is focusing on the 10-minute window between 9.10am and 9.20am where she is unaccounted for.

Mr Ansell also thanked the local community for their “amazing” support and said it had given the family “a great amount of comfort”.

Members of the local community on Friday stood by the side of the road holding signs bearing Ms Bulley’s photo, urging people to contact police with information.

On Thursday Ms Bulley’s heartbroken sister Louise Cunningham told Sky News: “It feels like I’m just stuck in a nightmare”.

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Nicola’s family ‘stuck in nightmare’

In the interview, her family made an emotional appeal to anyone who may have seen her or knows where she is to come forward and speak to police.

Lancashire Police, who have launched a major search operation, said that despite “unanswered questions”, people should not “speculate or spread false rumours” about the disappearance.

The force said they do not believe any crime has been committed and are treating the incident as a missing person inquiry.

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IT issue affects flights at Edinburgh Airport

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IT issue affects flights at Edinburgh Airport

All flights were halted at Edinburgh Airport this morning due to an IT issue affecting its air traffic control provider.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the airport later announced service had resumed.

Its post read: “Flights have now resumed following the IT issue with our air traffic provider.

“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding.”

But passengers continue to feel the effects.

A Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Edinburgh was diverted to Dublin after going into a holding pattern over the Scottish capital.

And a live arrivals board on the airport’s website showed multiple flights diverted, delayed and cancelled.

Arrivals board at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: Edinburgh Airport
Image:
Arrivals board at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: Edinburgh Airport

Morven McCall and Cody Stevenson, both 19, were due to fly easyJet from Edinburgh to Amsterdam on their first trip away together.

Morven told Sky News: “We literally just got into the airport and as soon as we walked through the door there was an announcement that it had been cancelled.

“I was ill over the summer and had to cancel two holidays already, this was our first time going away together. We are just gutted and stressed.”

Follow live: Latest updates as flights halted

Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport. File pic: PA
Image:
Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport. File pic: PA

One passenger was on a plane when they found out.

They said: “We boarded our flight and pushed back on time for an 8.45 (am) departure, then sat for a while before the pilot told us what was happening.

“He updated us a couple of times, cabin crew are brilliant at handing out water etc, and I’m surprised that everyone appears to be upbeat. But then you do wonder how long for, just been told we’re hoping to be in the air in 20 minutes.”

Another passenger told us: “The first news was from the airport announcement as we were halfway through boarding, saying the airfield was closed due to air traffic control down.

“No one knew what was going on. We’d already been delayed a bit before boarding, with no reason. I suspect problems started about 9am.”

It comes after an earlier announcement that all flights had been halted.

“No flights are currently operating from Edinburgh Airport,” the previous statement said.

“Teams are working on the issue and will resolve as soon as possible.”

There was no timeframe for recovery initially, Sky News learned.

It’s understood by PA that the issue was not linked to today’s Cloudflare outage.

Edinburgh Trams also posted on X, writing: “If you’re travelling with us to @EDI_Airport this morning, please be aware that flights are not currently operating.”

The airport urged passengers to contact their airline for the latest information on flights.

An average of 43,000 passengers per day use the airport, which is served by 37 airlines flying to 155 destinations.

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Teenager fatally hit by car on motorway had been tasered by police, watchdog says

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Teenager fatally hit by car on motorway had been tasered by police, watchdog says

The police watchdog says it is investigating after a teenager who was tasered by an officer on a motorway was fatally hit by a car.

Logan Smith, 18, was being taken to hospital in an ambulance at about 11pm on Sunday when the vehicle stopped on the hard shoulder of the M5 in Somerset.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the vehicle stopped on the northbound carriageway “due to the concerns of ambulance staff”.

Mr Smith got out of the ambulance near the junction for Weston-super-Mare and “entered the live lanes of the motorway”, the watchdog added.

Police were called and an officer arrived at the scene, with bodycam footage showing the officer discharging their Taser, causing the teenager to fall to the ground.

“Soon afterwards” Mr Smith was struck by a car travelling on the southbound carriageway, the IOPC said.

The watchdog said it was investigating the “actions and decisions taken by Avon and Somerset Police prior to the death of a teenager”.

IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “My thoughts and sympathies are with Logan’s family and friends and everyone affected by this shocking and tragic incident. 

“We want to reassure everyone that we will independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the use of a Taser.

“After being notified by the force, we sent our investigators to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.

“We have taken initial accounts from the officer and ambulance staff involved.

“We met with Logan’s family on Tuesday, to give our condolences, explain our role and to provide some further detail about our investigation, including a Taser being discharged during the incident.

“We will continue to keep them updated and they request that their privacy be respected at such a difficult time.”

The coroner has been informed and formal identification and a post-mortem have taken place.

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Former doctor charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients

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Former doctor charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients

A former doctor has been charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients in his care.

Nathaniel Spencer, 38, has been charged with 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assault a child under 13 by penetration and one count of attempted assault by penetration.

It follows a police investigation into alleged sexual offences between 2017 and 2021.

Staffordshire Police said in a statement the charges come after a complex investigation by the Public Protection Unit into sexual offences at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, in Stoke-on-Trent, and Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre
Image:
North Staffordshire Justice Centre

Ben Samples, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the West Midlands CPS Complex Casework Unit and Serious Violence, Organised Crime and Exploitation Unit, said: “We have decided to prosecute Nathaniel Spencer for a number of serious sexual offences allegedly carried out against patients while he was working as a doctor – including assault by penetration and sexual assault against a child.

“Our prosecutors have worked at length to support a detailed and complex investigation by Staffordshire Police, carefully reviewing the available evidence to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”

Spencer, from Birmingham, will appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 20 January 2026.

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