Two young daughters of a missing mother were left "crying their eyes out" after being told "mommy's lost" when she disappeared while walking the family's dog.
Nicola Bulley, 45, has been missing since Friday (January 30) after taking her dog, Willow, for a walk by the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
Police were alerted when a fellow dogwalker recognized Willow, who was roaming around off the lead with no sign of Bulley.
Her phone was found on a nearby bench around an hour after Bulley was last sighted, still connected to an active conference call for work.
A search is currently underway for the mother-of-two, with police stating that it is not a crime inquiry at present.
Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, 44, had told the couple's young children - daughters Harriet, nine, and Sophia, six, that their mother was missing after she failed to come home.
Her mother Dorothy told The Sun: "He just said, 'Mummy’s lost,'" while Ansell's dad David added: "They cried their eyes out."
Earlier in the morning, Bulley had dropped her children off at school before taking Willow on a walk nearby, where she had often taken the dog.
Bulley's family said in a statement on Tuesday: "We have been overwhelmed by the support from our community and would like to thank everyone for their ongoing efforts to help us find Nicola.
"The girls are desperate to have their mummy back home safe with them and your ongoing efforts have provided comfort to them whilst we await news on Nicola.
"We ask for anyone who thinks they may have any information that may help the police find Nicola to please come forward and help them with their inquiries."
The police added in a press conference: "The police are keeping a really open mind about what could have happened but we do believe that the likelihood is that Nicola has gone missing and this is not a crime inquiry.
"We’ve mounted a really intensive operation to try to find Nicola. We’ve got a large area to search. People do go missing but, clearly, as time goes on we become more and more concerned for Nicola.
"But we’re very much hoping that we will find something to try to bring her home safe and well soon."
They added: "We appeal for anyone who may have been driving through the village of St Michael’s last Friday morning at about 9:15 AM or who may have dashcam footage that could be of use to us, or people who may have been dog-walking in the area or on the towpath, to come forward."
Ansell also told press: "It is just perpetual hell. It is just utter disbelief. We are living through this but it doesn’t feel real.
"All we can say is we need to find her. She’s got two little girls that need their mummy home. We have got to get some good news now."
Police, the coastguard, and Bowland Mountain Rescue are among those scouring the area for any sign of Bulley, with many members of the local community also joining the search.
Superintendent Riley thanked those who had come out but urged them to be cautious when searching as riverbanks in the area can be "treacherous".
She said: "We remain extremely concerned for Nicola and we continue to do everything we can to try and find her and to provide some answers for her family, who are obviously beside themselves with worry.
"I must stress at this time that this remains a missing person inquiry and at this time there is nothing to suggest any third-party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.
"We appreciate there is also a great deal of concern in the local community, and we appreciate people want to help. However, parts of the riverbank are treacherous, and we would ask that nobody puts themselves in danger and that the police and partner agencies’ efforts to find Nicola are not compromised.
"If anybody has any questions or concerns, they are welcome to speak to officers in the area."
