A local councillor who lives near the area where Nicola Bulley went missing received an ‘offensive’ voicemail from ‘some nutter’ commenting on the investigation.
The message was part of a series of ‘late night’ nuisance calls made to members of the Sowerby Parish Council on Saturday, it has been revealed.
A source familiar with the incident told The Mirror a councillor received an ‘offensive’ message mentioning the missing mother, but declined to provide specifics about the call. Police are understood to have identified the offender.
It comes after authorities banned amateur detectives from hunting for the missing 45-year-old after they searched an abandoned house close to the spot where she vanished.
A local councillor who lives near the area where Nicola Bulley (pictured) went missing received an ‘offensive’ voicemail from ‘some nutter’ commenting on the investigation
The message was part of a series of ‘late night’ nuisance calls made to members of the Sowerby Parish Council on Saturday. A source familiar with the incident said a councillor received an ‘offensive’ message mentioning the missing mother, but declined to provide specifics about the call
Five members of Inskip with Sowerby Parish Council received ‘mystery phone calls’ between 12.45am and 3am on Saturday, thew newspaper alleged.
Most of the callers hung up and did not interact with the council – except for the one individual who left the voicemail.
‘I wouldn’t say it was abusive, I would say it was offensive,’ an insider said, describing the content of the message.
The source said the caller was ‘just some nutter’ and added that ‘police have got a copy of that call.’
The council, although not shaken by the nuisance calls, has since removed all members’ phone numbers from its website. Wyre Borough Council is said to have done the same.
MailOnline has approached West Yorkshire Police and Sowerby Parish Council for comment.
It comes after authorities banned amateur detectives from hunting for the missing 45-year-old after they searched an abandoned house (pictured) close to the spot where she vanished
This bench where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was found as well as her dog Willow’s lead
Mounted police in Knott End-on-Sea in Lancashire are pictured taking part in the search for Ms Bulley today
Ms Bulley, 45, vanished while walking her dog near the River Wyre in Lancashire on January 27. Police have said their primary theory is that she fell into the river.
The search for the mortgage broker has been dogged by unfounded theories spread online by true crime cranks, conspiracy theorists and social media trolls.
Last week, police are said to have handed a dispersal order to a group of men who had travelled 50 miles from the Liverpool area to St Michael’s on Wyre.
They apparently tried to search a property close to where she had vanished despite the fact that the property had already been ‘searched from top to bottom by the police’.
A friend of Ms Bulleys, who reportedly knows the owners of the property, revealed the home is ‘not abandoned’ and is ‘owned by a lovely family who have lived in this village for generations and would do anything they can to help in the search.’
‘It has been searched, inside and outside, from top to bottom by the police,’ Heather Gibbons said at the time.
‘I have clarified this with the family themselves and also with the police. They have never refused entry to the police or told them they need a warrant to search’.
Experts have identified a number of possibilities and clues that could help case
Peter Faulding (pictured during the search for Ms Bulley) warned today that civilians should keep their distance from the investigation and claimed that the conspiracy theories are ‘upsetting’ to Ms Bulley’s loved ones
Mortgage adviser Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing along the River Wyre on January 27 (Pictured with partner Paul Ansell)
Police officers continue to patrol the riverside on Sunday, February 12
She also claimed the police units were patrolling the area to deal with trespassers.
‘We are at the point where people coming to “help” look for Nikki in this way is actually doing the complete opposite,’ Ms Gibbons argued.
Similarly, world-leading forensic search specialist Peter Faulding warned today that civilians should keep their distance from the investigation and claimed that the conspiracy theories are ‘upsetting’ to Ms Bulley’s loved ones.
‘Nicola’s either gone in the river, walked off on her own, been abducted, or she could be being held somewhere. Everyone just wants to be Columbo,’ he told MailOnline.
‘Stay away, let the police deal with the investigation. It’s causing a lot of upset locally.
‘I advise the public to stay away from the area and try not to, you know, come in from outside and start breaking into sheds. That’s bad news, is it’s upsetting the locals.’
Mr Faulding also announced today that he wil start a new search on land in attempt to find where the mother-of-two ‘could have been buried.’
He said he is ‘confident’ the 45-year-old is not in the water and argued it’s time to ‘consider all options’ and has vowed to look at ‘possible deposition sites’ – especially since there was a report of ‘suspicious people hanging around’ the area where she disappeared.