Libby Squire sent a hopeful message to Nicola Bulley’s partner (Picture: PA)
The mother of murdered student Libby Squire has sent a moving message to Nicola Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell, imploring him not to ‘give up hope’.
Lisa Squire’s daughter went missing in Hull in January 2019. The 21-year-old student’s body was found seven weeks later in the River Hull and local butcher Pavel Relowicz was later convicted of her rape and murder.
Missing mother-of-two Nicola vanished while walking her dog in the Lancashire village of St Michael’s on Wyre on January 27. Her friends and family are determined not to give up hope for her safe return.
‘Please don’t give up hope,’ Lisa told Paul. ‘Put one foot in front of the other and hope for that positive outcome.’
She told The Sun: ‘It’s the not knowing that’s so difficult.’
Police are still searching for Nicola Bulley after she went missing on January 27 (Picture: Facebook)
Libby’s body was eventually found by a boat crew in the Humber Estuary, and seeing the same boats combing the river for Nicola brought back painful memories for Ms Squire.
‘When I saw the little police dinghy on the river looking for Nicola it took me right back,’ she said.
‘I hope for Nicola’s family’s sake that she will come back alive with an explanation.’
After searching the nearby river, police were seen visiting a nearby caravan park located just yards from where she was last seen.
Described as a ‘quiet, family run park’, a police spokesperson told Metro.co.uk the visit was not a search, but instead part of a patrol to support businesses and the local community.
Meanwhile, a witness reported seeing two hooded men trying to hide their faces near where she vanished.
21-year-old student Libby Squire was murdered in 2019 and later found dead seven weeks later at the bottom of a river (Picture: PA)
On Friday, Paul said he is ‘100 per cent’ certain Nicola did not fall into the river, the original theory believed by police.
He also told Channel 5 he still intends to marry her.
His theory was backed up by veteran diver Peter Faulding, who led the underwater search for Nicola, and later said it was time to ‘consider all options’ after failing to find her.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: ‘On the river on the day it wasn’t running very fast.
‘I’ve spent a lot of time with the family and they said she was so cautious, did the same route every day, didn’t go near the river and her Fitbit shows she doesn’t go near the river.
Libby’s mother Lisa Squire said Nicola’s disappearance has brought back painful memories (Picture: PA)
‘She would have to be pushed really hard to be launched out into the middle of the river.’
Despite feeling ‘anger’, ‘utter frustration’ and ‘confusion’, Paul said the family will never give up hope of finding Ms Bulley, adding he was ‘never, ever going to let go’.
‘Nikki would never give up on us ever. She wouldn’t give up on anybody. And we’re not gonna ever give up on her like, we’re going to find her,’ he said.
The search continues.
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Lisa Squire sent a poignant message to the family of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley.
