As the search for Nicola Bulley enters the 14th day, people have been warned against taking "the law into their own hands" as a group of amateur sleuths was stopped from searching an abandoned house.
Bulley, 45, has been missing since January 27 after her dog Willow was seen alone at around 10:30 AM near the River Wyre in St. Michael's On Wyre, Lancashire.
The mortgage advisor was last spotted at 9:30 AM walking Willow after dropping her two young children off at school. Bulley's phone was found on a bench still connected to a work conference call, but she was muted and the camera was off.
The search for the 45-year-old has hit the two-week mark, and there is still no sign of Bulley's whereabouts, so members of the public have taken it upon themselves to join the search.
As reported by the Daily Mail, police were forced to hand a dispersal notice to a group of men who had made the 50 mile journey from Liverpool to the site of Bulley's disappearance.
They had attempted to search a property close to where the mother-of-two was last sighted but were informed by police that the building had already been thoroughly searched.
As cited by the outlet, one of Bulley's friends fears that amateur detectives will interfere with the search, saying: "We are at the point where people coming to 'help' look for Nikki in this way is actually doing the complete opposite."
Heather Gibbons, a friend of Bulley, took to social media to shed some light on the property that is causing intrigue to those attempting to help in the search.
"Its not abandoned. It's owned by a lovely family who have lived in this village for generations and would do anything they can to help in the search for Nikki," Gibbons began.
"It HAS been searched, inside and outside, from top to bottom by the police. 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.
"Its not 'strange' that they were around when the police/rescue teams turned up, the police had knocked on their door and asked them to be around."
Gibbons went on to say that people taking the law into their own hands are hindering the search for Bulley, as police are having to waste time and resources stopping trespassers.
The search for Bulley is ongoing, and although police have requested that members of the public don't "take the law into their own hands," people are encouraged to come forward with any information.
