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Nicola Bulley’s friend has said she hopes specialist underwater teams uncover nothing of the missing mum, to discredit the police’s theory she fell into the river.

Yesterday Express.co.uk revealed an expert diving team will use helicopters and specialist sonar equipment as they assist in the search for Ms Bulley today.

Emma White said she and other friends of Ms Bulley were pleased the team would be assisting police, but is hoping they “uncover nothing.”

She told Good Morning Britain: “We hope they uncover nothing, like the police have done for the last ten days, and we hope Nicola is not in that river.”

The search for Nicola Bulley was handed a huge boost as the “world’s best” sonar equipment that can scan the river “in a day” is set to be deployed near to where she was last sighted.

Express.co.uk revealed that Lancashire Police earlier “declined” a free offer of help from the leading international underwater search team wanted by Nicola Bulley’s family.

However, in an apparent backtrack by the force, Specialist Group International (SGI), led by Peter Faulding, will now join the investigation of the scene where Ms Bulley went missing nine days ago.

Ms White said she believes Mr Faulding’s equipment is more sophisticated the the kit police have, saying: “Peter’s here, working with Lancashire Police, and we just have to have everything crossed that the search continues and Nicola is not in that river.

“We don’t want to undermine all the work police have done but when you get that glimmer of hope and you look at what the company does, his records and what he has achieved then you think we need to get this expert here – and we can’t thank you enough for bringing the team down.”

Ms White said the police theory that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre “is based on a theory, with no actual evidence to support it”.

Emma, who has known Ms Bulley for ten years, told Radio 4’s Today programme: “The hypothesis is based on limited information – I’ve said before it’s a theory, and we sadly can’t base life on a theory.”

Speaking to Express.co.uk, founder Peter Faulding, who pioneered bringing forensic sonar search equipment to the UK, said: “We have the best sonar equipment for the world that’s available, for the highest frequency for this particular search. That river, we can literally scan within a day, a day and a half.

“Our kit is the best you can buy, it’s the highest frequency, there are forces who carry sonar but it’s a lot lower frequency generally. I’m not criticising the police, I work for them all the time, and I have great respect for them. I have had a very productive call with Lancashire Police this afternoon, we will build an excellent working relationship.

“What I’m doing is offering our services free of charge to try and eliminate this river so the police can get on with their other enquiries and find out where Nicola is. It’s the pain, the agony that this family are going through, you shouldn’t have to search and search for 10 days.”

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