A neighbour and friend of Nicola Bulley has praised the missing mum's partner Paul Ansell for his 'miracle strength' and courage as the search enters its 17th day. Charlotte Drake, who has lived next to Nicola for five years, has described Mr Ansell's resilience as "nothing short of a miracle" as he continues to look after his two daughters while they hope for their mum's return.
Speaking to the Metro, she said: "Nicola was heading off to drop her kids at school and I saw the car going. Nothing looked strange at all. Our kids are at different schools and hers start a little bit earlier than mine so whenever I see Nikki go out the drive, I tell mine to hurry up."In reference to Mr Ansell's media interview, she added: "He does not want to break down on camera in view of millions of people watching and where his kids may see it.
She said that she agrees with Paul's view that Nicola is not in the River Wyre, despite police basing their investigation heavily on this assumption. She added: "As neighbours and friends, we’ve all said from 11am on Day 1 when the police showed up… 'She’s not in that river.' It comes as fresh details have emerged about two men reportedly seen acting suspiciously close to the river in Lancashire where Nicola Bulley disappeared. Her dog, Willow, was found without a harness or lead, running near the bench were her mobile phone was left - still connected to a work call.