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Search for mum of two intensifies in northwest England

LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The search for a woman who disappeared while walking her dog and on a work call intensifies on Monday with underwater search specialists joining an effort to find out what happened to the mother of two who was last seen by an English river 10 days ago.

Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen walking her dog, Willow, near a river in Lancashire, northwest England, on Jan. 27. Just 25 minutes later, her mobile phone, still connected to a work Teams call, was found on a bench. Willow, her springer spaniel, was found waiting nearby.

Her sudden disappearance has sparked a large search along the River Wyre and her case has become widely talked about on social media, with the public offering differing explanations for how Bulley could seemingly disappear without a trace.

After a week-long investigation, police said they believed she had fallen into the water. There was no evidence of anything suspicious or any third party involvement, they said.

Specialist Group International, a company with an underwater search team, boats and other equipment, will add their expertise to the operation on Monday, it said in a statement on Facebook. Divers have already been in the river, as well as specialist dogs, drones and helicopters.

"This remains a missing person enquiry and we will continue to carry out searches and to do everything we can to find Nicola and provide her family and the community with the answers they desperately need," Lancashire Police said in a statement.

"There is absolutely nothing to suggest from all the extensive enquiries we have made that anything untoward has happened to her or that there is any third-party involvement in her disappearance." (Reporting by Sarah Young, editing by Elizabeth Piper)