A council leader has spoken out after ‘vile’ phone calls and an influx of visitors wanting to ‘play detective’ over Nicola Bulley’s disappearance.
The missing Lancashire mum vanished 18 days ago while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre.
The contact details of councillors have now been temporarily removed from Wyre Council website after ‘inappropriate emails and phone calls’ over the case.
A warning that ‘no abuse will be tolerated’ has been issued, as Lancashire Police investigate the situation.
Wyre Council leader Michael Vincent said: ‘We appreciate the emotional gravity of the situation; however we will not tolerate any form of abuse of any of our elected members of Wyre Borough Council or any of the town and parish councils within our borders or our staff.’
Mr Vincent added that the local community had ‘shown great strength and resilience during the investigation’ and urged others to follow their lead.
He said: ‘It is a shame that we have had to take this step at such a difficult time and appropriate steps are being taken to ensure that residents are still able to contact their elected representatives.’
In a statement, the council also warned: ‘Wyre Council will log any reports of abuse and these will be forwarded to the police. Please be respectful.’
Chief executive Garry Payne said staff had been ‘deeply saddened’ by Ms Bulley’s case and sent thoughts to her family and friends.
Crowds travelling to the area were previously accused of making it ‘feel like a tourist spot’ by Ms Bulley’s friend Heather Gibbons.
Mr Vincent has revealed ‘it’s been busier than ever this weekend’.
‘People seem to want to play detectives but please stay away and leave it to the police’, he told the BBC. ‘The community want to return to some sort of normality.’
Ms Bulley vanished while walking her springer spaniel Willow near the river, shortly after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.
Her phone was found on a bench overlooking the river, still connected to a work call.
Police believe she may have ‘have fallen into the river for some reason’, although her family and friends previously said there is no evidence for this.
The search in Morecambe Bay continued into its fifth day as officers on horseback surveyed elevated paths in the village of Knott End-on-Sea on Monday.
On Thursday, police extended the search for her body to the sea after detectives said finding her ‘in the open sea becomes more of a possibility’.
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