A top detective who supported Kent police investigating the case of murdered dog walker Julia James has been drafted in to help solve the disappearance of Nicola Bulley.

The specialist officer, who also worked on the high-profile county probe into double-murderer David Fuller, was involved in the investigation into the brutal death of PCSO Mrs James, who was bludgeoned on a remote footpath in Snowdown, near Canterbury, in 2021.

Now, The Times reports the same detective is advising beleaguered Lancashire officers as they attempt to establish what happened to Mrs Bulley, who was also on a dog walk when she vanished more than three weeks ago.

The force is said to be tapping into the expertise of the National Crime Agency (NCA) detective - the UK's equivalent of the FBI - to help find out what has happened to the missing 45-year-old.

She was walking her springer spaniel, Willow, along the banks of the River Wyre, when she was last seen on January 27.

The detective from the NCA is understood to have been called in at a relatively early stage to provide advice to Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith - the senior investigating officer on the case.

He is believed to have recommended police bring in external experts, including specialists in search, family liaison and digital media to examine Mrs Bulley's phone and other electronic devices.

A forensic clinical psychologist and a behavioural expert have also been asked to analyse both Mrs Bulley's state of mind and the profile of a potential offender.

The NCA detective - who is part of the agency's major crime unit - is understood to have previously advised Kent police during their investigation into the death of Julia James, 53, who was murdered in cold blood as she walked her Jack Russell, Toby, in April 2021.

Callum Wheeler was jailed for life last July and ordered to serve a minimum of 37 years in prison for the brutal killing.

The NCA detective, who has not been named, was also involved in the investigation into double-murderer David Fuller.

The former hospital worker was convicted of murdering Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce at their Tunbridge Wells homes in 1987, after a cold-case review two decades later.

The killer, who also abused the corpses of dozens of women and girls in hospital mortuaries, was given two whole-life orders in December 2021.

The NCA says the investigation into Mrs Bulley's disappearance continues to be led by Lancashire police and that the agency is providing support.

It added: "A national senior investigating officer adviser from the NCA is leading a team of officers from the agency's major crime investigative support unit, who are providing tactical advice and guidance, as well as access to a number of specialists.”