Nicola Bulley latest — Former police officer says search teams ‘faced poor visibility and challenging conditions’
SEARCH teams in the Nicola Bulley investigation did the best job they could in challenging conditions and will be "gutted" she was not found sooner, a former police officer has said.
Former cop Graham Wettone said that conditions in the River Wyre would have been challenging and 's body would have moved during the time she was in the water.
He said he has spoken to underwater search experts who were supportive of what police and fire and rescue teams in did.
The veteran former Metropolitan Police officer, who was in the force for 30 years, said: "That was a really difficult search.
"Really challenging conditions, you wouldn't have been able to see much when you were underwater with the air tanks on, you'd have been almost doing it by touch, by feel. So it's a really challenging searching environment. And it's tidal, so it goes backwards and forwards. There'll be channels and crevices and gaps in the riverbank as you go along where things can get lodged."
Read our Nicola Bulley blog below for the latest updates...
What did police say about Nicola Bulley’s ‘issues with alcohol’?
Police revealed that missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley had suffered “significant issues with alcohol”.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said Nicola “in the past suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the .
“These struggles had resurfaced over recent months [and] this caused some real challenges for [her partner] Paul and the family,” the spokesman added.
“We have explained to Nicola’s family why we have released this further information and we would ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.”
Authorities added they had made a visit to Nicola’s house last month for a welfare check.
'Reeds not part of our remit' - Peter Faulding
In Peter Faulding's statement he claimed that reeds and the side of the river are "not part of our remit".
He said: "Sadly, the discovery was not found in the river but in the reeds at the side of the river which was not part of our remit as the side scan sonar does not penetrate reeds above or below the water.
"A riverbank and wade search would be the only way to search this area and we were not involved or tasked with that search.
"The difference between these two search areas has caused a lot of confusion and unfair criticism towards myself and my team at Specialist Group International (SGI)."
Police ‘failed in search or body was weighed down’, ex-murder cop claims
An ex-murder cop said, while "we don't know all the facts", there seemed to be only two reasons a body has only just been found.
Speaking to The Times, he said: "That means really only two other possibilities - the body was weighed down or there were failures in the search."
The ex-cop continued: "It's important to emphasise we don't know all the facts.
"However, it does seem pretty extraordinary given the level of searches in that area."
Bracing for the 'worst possible news'
Wyre Council leader Michael Vincent, who has been closely involved in the search for Nicola, told The Sun: “This is absolutely tragic. Nicola’s family and friends have been through hell.
“For three weeks we have all hoped for the best. To hear that a body has been found is truly heartbreaking. I can’t imagine what Nicola’s family and friends must be going through.
“We’re all waiting for official confirmation and if that comes it will be the worst possible news.”
Peter Faulding defends search team
Forensic expert Peter Faudling has defended his search team's operations following the discovery of a body yesterday.
He said: “The SGI underwater search team was tasked with searching the river upsteam of weir in the non tidal part of the river, past the bench where Nicola’s phone was found and a mile upstream past this point. For three days, using high frequency side scan sonar, we thoroughly search the riverbed and can categorically confirm that Nicola was not laying on the riverbed on the days that we searched.
“The police underwater search teams and land search teams were searching for three full weeks and were also unable to find Nicola.
“Unfortunately it was a member of the public that made a grim discovery, unconfirmed as yet to be Nicola,” Mr Faulding said.
He went on: “Sadly, the discovery was not found in the river but in the reeds at the side of the river which was not part of our remit as the side scan sonar does not penetrate reeds above or below the water. A riverbank and wade search would be the only way to search this area and we were not involved or tasked with that search.
“The difference between these two search areas has caused a lot of confusion and unfair criticism towards myself and my team at Specialist Group International (SGI).”
Keir Starmer urges people to await police's full review before coming to judgement
Sir Keir Starmer urged members of the public to await the full review of the police's handling of Nicola Bulley's disappearance before coming to a judgment.
Speaking to broadcasters the Labour leader said: "First and foremost I think all of us will be thinking about the family and the circumstances unfolding and the agony that they're going through.
"Obviously we want the investigation to be now completed so we can get to the absolute bottom of this, there will be a review so if there have been mistakes along the way, the review will get to the bottom of those mistakes.
"Let the investigation go its full length now, let's have that review and then we can see whether the judgments were the right judgments.
"In my experience when I was director of public prosecutions very often where there is a review, some judgments which at the time didn't seem particularly appropriate, are capable of being explained."
Pictured: Daffodils and yellow ribbons cover bridge
Yellow ribbons and daffodils cover the bridge near to where Nicols Bulley went missing.
It comes as police discovered a body yesterday in the search for the missing mother-of-two.
Credit: AFP Who to contact if you have information
Police are appealing to anyone who may have any information regarding the disappearance of Nicola Bulley.
Anybody with information is asked to call 101, quoting log 473.
The timeline of events on January 27, 2023
Here the events police believe occurred on the day Nicola Bulley vanished.
8.26am- Nicola leaves her home address with her children
8.40am- The mum drops the children off at school and has a brief conversation with another parent.
8.43am – Nicola walked along the path by the River Wyre towards the gate/bench into the lower field, having dropped her children off at school
8:47am (approximately) – A dog-walker – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her walking around the lower field with her dog. Their two dogs interacted briefly before the witness left the field via the river path
8.53am – She sent an email to her boss
8.59 am- Nicola sent message to a friend
9.01am – She logged into a Teams call
9.10am (approximately) – A witness – somebody who knows Nicola – saw her on the upper field walking her dog, Willow. Work is ongoing today to establish exactly what time this was.
9.20- Her phone was back in the area of the bench
9.30am – The Teams call ended but Nicola stayed logged on
9.33am (approximately) – Nicola’s mobile phone and Willow were found at a bench by the river by another dog-walker.
Former Chief Superintendent 'cringed' when police released details on private life
A former chief superintendent has claimed the detectives’ decision to disclose details of Nicola Bulley’s personal life was a move that made him "cringe" despite it being the "right" one.
Bob Eastwood told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “When I first heard the police had released that, I cringed, but I didn’t say anything, I didn’t put anything out on my own social media because I didn’t know the full facts and didn’t know why they had taken those steps.
“Some hours later the family gave a press release indicating they were aware the information was to be given out and they’d given the information out because somebody had sold a story to the press and that information was going to be given out as an exclusive.
“Knowing policing as I do, I suspect that they made that decision in order to prevent somebody releasing it in that way. It was unpleasant information to hear but I think in all the circumstances, from what I know and believe, I think the police were right to do so.”
Family could be waiting DAYS
Nicola's family could be waiting days to find out if a body found in the river close to where she disappeared is the missing mum.
The body was pulled from the water a mile from where 45-year-old mum-of-two Nicola was last seen three weeks ago in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancs.
Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell said there are “no words right now, just agony”, after the discovery of a body just before noon yesterday.
It was spotted by two dog walkers around a mile from where Nicola was last seen.
Peter denies giving family false hope
Peter Faulding had previously declared: "If Nicola was in that river, I would have found her. She’s not there."
Mr Faulding last night insisted it was "totally unfair" to suggest he had given the family "false hope".
He said: "If I gave them false hope, then what about the police search teams there every day? I was there for three days as a volunteer.
"I think that would be totally unfair to be honest with you, and I would sling the hook and give up searching."
He explained: "The police search teams walked that river every day. Up and down, up and down.
"When we searched that part, she was not laying on the bottom of the river, but we were only there for one day.
"We are going down with a boat towing the sonar. We're not searching reeds."
Body identification expected
Lancashire Police has said that the body is yet to be formally identified and it is "unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time".
The force added: "Procedures to identify the body are ongoing.
"We are currently treating the death as unexplained.
"Nicola's family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times."
Nicola Bulley search
Police diver teams backed up by drones, helicopters and search dogs scoured the Wyre river for days.
But despite the massive hunt, a body was not found until yesterday — and just a mile from where Nicola, 45, was last seen.
The discovery — by members of the public — raised questions about Lancashire Police’s handling of the investigation and search.
A week into the investigation leading officers stated it was their belief she had fallen into the water at St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancs.
‘Serious questions need to be asked’ of police claims former cop
A former cop has said police must learn lessons from the hunt for Nicola Bulley
Former Scotland Yard Superintendent Nusrit Mehtab told Sky News: “It has just been sad all the way through and Lancashire Police have obviously tried their best, but things have gone wrong.”
Ms Mehtab added: “some serious questions have to be asked about whether it was necessary” for police to share detailed information about Nicola’s health.
She said: “Did they look at the wider impact, because what was their key messaging and how has this left the public perception, trust and confidence?
“Certainly when you sit back and think how this is going to impact, are women or anybody now liable to come forward or give police the whole story when they feel that such information will be released into the public domain?
“All those questions can be answered with investigation and some real lessons learned because this needs to be stopped and policing needs to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Former chief constable claims police criticism has 'not been justified'
Speaking to Sky News, the former chief constable, Sir Peter Fahy, claimed that the criticism was "not been justified" and has left a lot of officers "disillusioned".
When asked why they released Nicola Bulley's personal details he claimed this will be something that needs to be "justified" and there will be an inquest.
He said they were under "huge pressure" and is not sure why the police did not issue the details from the beginning.
Nicola Bulley latest news
- Cops found a body in the river near where Nicola went missing
- Family members were "heartbroken" at the development
- Dive expert Peter Faulding broke his silence to send support to her loved ones
- Mr Faulding insisted he did not give the family “false hope”
- A pal of Nicola’s revealed the hell of keeping the missing mum’s daughters in the dark
- Heartless trolls hacked the social media of Nicola’s partner Paul
Police full statement
In a statement, Lancashire Police said: "We were called today (Sunday) at 11.36am to reports of a body in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road.
"An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body.
"No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time.
"Procedures to identify the body are ongoing. We are currently treating the death as unexplained.
"Nicola's family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected."
Dog walkers discovered body
A huge police response was launched and police were scrambled to the scene as the couple who found her were pictured pointing to the water.
The male appeared ashen-faced as he gestured towards an outcrop of trees and undergrowth along the bank.
He was heard telling police: “It was a body. It’s down there. It was a body of a woman. There is definitely a body down there.”
Officers immediately sealed off a nearby road and a police helicopter hovered overhead.
Police say body found in river is ‘unexplained’
Police are treating the body found in the river Wyre yesterday as “unexplained.”
A statement said: “Procedures to identify the body are on-going.
“We are currently treating the death as unexplained.”
Nicola Bulley’s family are ‘heartbroken’ following body discovery
Sky News correspondent Inzamam Rashid said that he had contacted Nicola’s loved ones by text.
He said: “Tonight I’ve been speaking to some members of the family.
“I’ve had broken love hearts sent to me.
“If anything is to give you a sense of how they’re feeling, I think that pretty much sums it up.”
Police are yet to identify the body.
What did yesterday's police statement say?
Police released a statement yesterday afternoon confirming a body had been found approximately a mile from where Nicola Bulley was last seen.
The statement read: “We were called today at 11:36am to reports of a body in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road.
“An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body. No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time.
“Procedures to identify the body are on-going. We are currently treating the death as unexplained.
“Nicola’s family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected.”
Nicola Bulley diver Peter Faulding insists he did not give her family ‘false hope’ as body found near where mum vanished
THE underwater search expert who helped look for Nicola Bulley has insisted he didn’t give her family “false hope” by saying she was definitely not in the River Wyre.
Mr Faulding insisted it was “totally unfair” to suggest that he had given the family “false hope”.
He said: “If I gave them false hope, then what about the police search teams there every day? I was there for three days as a volunteer.
“I think that would be totally unfair to be honest with you, and I would sling the hook and give up searching.
He explained: “The police search teams walked that river every day. Up and down, up and down.
“When we searched that part, she was not laying on the bottom of the river, but we were only there for one day.
“We are going down on with a boat towing the sonar. We’re not searching reeds.”
What is a high risk missing person?
If someone is named as a “high risk” missing person it means that the police believe there is a real and immediate threat to the safety of either them or to the public.
The level of risk is assessed based on the person’s “vulnerabilities” and the circumstances of their disappearance.
For example, elderly people or children might attract a higher risk rating as they are more vulnerable.
Circumstances that would provoke a higher category include a suspicion of murder or the person having financial, employment or relationship problems.
Why is Nicola Bulley a high risk missing person?
Detectives revealed that Nicola was deemed high risk because she struggled with “vulnerabilities”, including “serious issues with alcohol”.
Police said these issues are understood to have been related to issues she had during the menopause due to information provided by her partner.
Police said: “We have described how Nicola had some vulnerabilities at the time she went missing and we just wanted to expand on that a little.
“Sadly, it is clear from speaking to Paul and the family that Nicola had in the past suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause and that these struggles had resurfaced over recent months. This caused some real challenges for Paul and the family.
“As a result of those issues, a response car staffed by both police and health professionals attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home address on January 10.
“No one has been arrested in relation to this incident, but it is being investigated.
“It is an unusual step for us to take to go into this level of detail about someone’s private life, but we felt it was important to clarify what we meant when we talked about vulnerabilities to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation.”