The authorities took away the blue-coloured ski glove from the scene, though they asserted that the main line of investigation – that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre – has not changed, reports The Telegraph.

However, detectives have found no evidence of a “criminal aspect or third party involvement” in Nicola Bulley’s disappearance during extensive inquiries over the 19 days since she vanished, a police chief has said.

Lancashire Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson defended his force’s investigation into the case of the missing mother-of-two at a press conference on Wednesday.

Setting out the details of the probe in more detail than police “normally” would, he said the scale has been “unprecedented”.

Nearly 40 detectives have sifted through hundreds of hours of CCTV, dashcam footage and tip-offs from the public.

And Mr Lawson said: “There is no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.”

Detectives have sought to combat disinformation about her disappearance amid growing speculation about what might have happened to her and criticism of the police effort.

At a press conference on February 3 Lancashire Police first told the public of their “main working hypothesis” that the mortgage adviser fell in the river during a “10-minute window” between 9.10am and 9.20am that day.

The force said her disappearance is not being treated as suspicious.

Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel Willow in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, after she dropped her two daughters – aged six and nine – at school.

Police are expected to hold a press conference later today, as they seek to combat disinformation surrounding her disappearance.

Yesterday Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, visited the bench where her phone and dog were recovered, and tied a yellow ribbon to the bridge at St Michael’s, as she expressed her frustration about the police probe.

“We need to know what’s happened to her. We just want her home. It just doesn’t make any sense still. Going around and around is torture,” she told Sky News.

Her partner Paul Ansell also expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made in her search, claimed a forensic expert aiding the investigation.

"He’s got a relationship with the police family liaison officers, but I think he’s struggling to get answers that he wants,” forensic expert Peter Faulding was quoted as saying by Mail Online.

"He’s got a line of communication with them, but I think there’s a problem. He vented his frustrations to the family liaison officers last week in front of me when I was there. There’s a feeling that there’s just a lack of imagination and willpower.

“Paul is just lost, really. He’s got no partner, the kids are missing their mum, and he’s absolutely in pieces.”

He also said Mr Ansell was “concerned that the search of the surrounding area needs to be done more thoroughly”.

“Any missing person inquiry, because you’ve got no concrete evidence, there needs to be a search and that includes surrounding areas that has to be on the first day of the case,” Mr Faulding was quoted as saying by TheTimes. “I’m not saying it hasn’t been done, but it needs to be extremely thoroughly searched.

“He’s [Ansell] just frustrated. He just wants answers. Obviously, he’s ripping himself to pieces at the moment. He just wants some form of closure I think, one way or the other, and he’s gearing himself up for any outcome.”