oads have been closed off near to the river where Nicola Bulley is believed to have gone missing.
A police helicopter has also been spotted circling along the River Wyre in St Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire.
A photographer at the scene told the Mirror: “It all happened so fast. Police have sealed all the roads off. It’s fair to say a massive search is underway.”
The huge search operation was launched on Sunday afternoon following a tip off from two walkers, according to The Telegraph.
A man and woman were seen pointing to a section of undergrowth on the river bank while talking to officers.
Officers closed off the entire length of Rawcliffe Road within minutes but did not disclose why it was shut.
Ms Bulley, 45, vanished while walking her dog on January 27.
Lancashire Police have said their “main working hypothesis” remains that she fell into the River Wyre between 9.10am and 9.20am.
However, her husband Paul Ansell insisted in a television interview that he was “100 per cent convinced” she was not in the water. He has called for every house, garage and outbuilding to be searched.
Searches of the river and its banks by helicopters, divers, sniffer dogs and drones have so far failed to find any sign of Ms Bulley – or any concrete clues about what might have happened to her.
Mr Ansell – who met Ms Bulley 12 years ago – has previously described her as “fun”, “loving” and “the most loyal friend you could ever have”. He said she was an “exceptional mum” who “absolutely adores our girls”.
Earlier this week, detectives were criticised after revealing that Nicola had suffered from “significant issues with alcohol” which were “brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause”.
