Search underway for missing mum Nicola Bulley (45) who vanished while walking dog in UK

Nicola Bulley (45) was on a work conference call when she disappeared without a trace.

Her phone was found on a bench near to where she was last seen and her dog, Willow, was found loose between the bench and the River Wyre.

When her phone was found, it was still logged into the conference call, The Telegraph reports.

Police have said they are “extremely concerned” about Nicola as emergency crews, dive teams, fire service drones, search dogs, helicopters and mountain rescue volunteers have been sent out to search for her.

She was last seen wearing a long black gilet jacket with a hood, black jeans and olive green ankle wellies.

Ms Bulley is described as being white, 5 foot 3 inches tall, with light brown shoulder-length hair that was tied into a ponytail on Friday morning.

Her partner Paul Ansell has described the last few days as a “perpetual hell.”

"We are living through this but it doesn’t feel real,” he told PA.

"All we can say is we need to find her. She’s got two little girls that need their mummy. We have got to get some good news now.”

Her heartbroken partner says he spent all of Sunday searching for her.

Nicola was following their usual routine on Friday morning, where one or other of them would drop the children, aged 9 and 6, to school before walking Willow along the nearby river.

"I got a call from the school regarding somebody who had found Willow, and Nikki's phone and the dog lead and harness on the bench," Paul, who then called the police, said.

"We take the kids to school and take the dog down there - either myself or Nikki - nearly every day."

Lancashire Police have said they are keeping an “open mind” in the investigation.

In an update issued on Monday, Superintendent Sally Riley said: “We appeal for anyone who may have been driving through the village of St Michael’s last Friday morning at about 9.15am, 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.

“We do believe that the likelihood is that Nicola has gone missing and this is not a crime inquiry, but we are keeping an open mind.

"The banking is very steep down to the river from the spot where she was last seen.

"It is shocking, and it is a close knit community. It is unusual for people to go missing in these circumstances. It is very sad, and we are doing everything to try and find Nicola safe and well.”