People have ‘travelled for miles to take selfies’ on the bench where missing Nicola Bulley’s phone was found.
The 46-year-old mother-of-two disappeared on January 27 in St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire.
The mortgage adviser from Inskip, Lancashire, had been walking her dog after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.
The area’s parish council chairman Giles Phillips slammed people for taking ghoulish selfies and reminded them the search for Nicola Bulley was ‘not a spectator sport’.
Mr Phillips said that in recent days the village has seen an increase in visitors to the riverside to watch the search operation.
Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen more than a week ago walking next to the River Wyre in St Michael’s-on-Wyre in Lancashire
MailOnline uncovered a photo posted to Snapchat showing a car with flashing lights and the caption ‘long walk on the search for the missing person’
People have reportedly been taking selfies at the bench (pictured) where Ms Bulley’s phone was found
It led the area’s parish council chairman to slam the behaviour and remind visitors the search for Ms Bulley was not a ‘spectator sport’
There have been reports of people also taking selfies with missing person posters and MailOnline uncovered a photo posted to Snapchat showing a car with flashing lights and the caption ‘long walk on the search for the missing person’.
Mr Phillips said: ‘It would be helpful if people could let the authorities do their jobs.
‘We don’t want anyone to hinder the investigation.
‘This is not a spectator sport.
‘Most of the area is private land. The public access is very minimal and can’t absorb the numbers of people who are coming every day.
‘They aren’t searching for somebody.
‘They are watching someone else search for somebody.
Since Ms Bulley’s disappearance, missing person posters have been put up on almost every railing and lamppost as emergency services and search teams desperately try to find her
Visitors have reportedly travelled from as far afield as Lancaster and Manchester to see the search unfold. Pictured: Ms Bulley with her partner Paul Ansell
The 46-year-old was walking her springer spaniel Willow, pictured, at the time she went missing
Police released a new CCTV image of missing mother Nicola Bulley (pictured) as the search continues
‘We would rather people stayed home or took a day trip to the Lake District.’
Since Ms Bulley’s disappearance, missing person posters have been put up on almost every railing and lamppost as emergency services and search teams desperately try to find her.
The riverside path where the 46-year-old was last seen walking her springer spaniel, Willow, usually has a steady flow of local visitors.
Search teams from expert diving company Specialist Group International prepare to scour the River Wyre earlier this week
Police inspecting the river bank before searches began this morning – the search continues
Yet in recent days the paths have been rammed with people who have travelled to the village to watch the search in action.
Visitors have reportedly travelled from as far afield as Lancaster and Manchester.
Meanwhile, police have warned vigilantes to stop breaking into abandoned homes in an attempt to find Ms Bulley.
Lancashire Police said it ‘will not tolerate’ people committing criminal offences by breaking into empty or derelict riverside properties to try to find the missing mother-of-two.
At a press conference on Tuesday, detectives warned members of the public not to ‘take the law into their own hands’ and not to direct online abuse at people connected to the investigation.
Superintendent Sally Riley said: ‘We will not tolerate online abuse of anyone, including innocent witnesses, members of the family and friends, of local businesses, or of criminal damage or burglary. We will be taking a strong line on that, as you would expect.’
Ms Riley told reporters: ‘There are some properties along the riverside which are empty or derelict. Whilst it may be well-intentioned that people think that that could be a line of inquiry, I would ask them to desist from doing that.
‘In some cases it may be criminal if they are breaking in and causing damage or committing a burglary.’