We’ll never know with ‘absolute certainty’ what happened to Nicola Bulley, ex-Met Police commander says

NOBODY will ever know with "absolute certainty" what happened to Nicola Bulley, an ex-Met Police commander claims.

Former Met Police commander John O’Connor was speaking after a body was found yesterday, just a mile from where the missing mum vanished.

Nicola, 45, was last seen in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, at around 9.15am on January 27.

Yesterday, police confirmed they had found a body in the river, but, as no formal identification had been carried out, they could not say whether the remains belonged to the mum-of-two.

DNA tests are now being carried out on the body.

However, that may not give all the answers, John claimed.

He said: “It is unlikely anyone will ever know with absolute certainty what happened.”

John continued: “The identification process suggests the body has been in the water all the time.

"If it is Nicola then it now becomes a question of did she slip, was she pushed or did she jump into the river?

“A post-mortem examination will establish whether she suffered any injuries from a third party.

"I think it’s very unlikely she would have been pushed into the water and then drowned.

“But this will be determined by a coroner at a full inquest and in my opinion it will be an open verdict."

The discovery of the body — by two dog walkers — 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.

In the past week, police had turned their attention to further down river as there had been no sign of a body.

The river and its inlets were checked along the ten-mile route to the Irish Sea at Morecambe Bay.

The former Met cop was one of those who questioned how police and other searchers managed to miss this body.

John said: “These search teams couldn’t find a currant in a rice pudding.

"I find it pathetic that a body has been found a mile from where she went missing.”

It comes as...

• A former cop claims there are "two possibilities" as to why a body has only just been found
• The horrified witness' first words after spotting a women's body in the river were revealed
• Nicola's family could be waiting days to find out if the body pulled from the river is hers
• The missing mum's partner shares how he and their children are coping
• Inside the police's search for the 45-year-old

The police have been criticised many times in the weeks since Nicola vanished.

One of which came after they last week revealed Nicola had "vulnerabilities" at the time she went missing.

These included "significant issues with alcohol" in the past that were brought on by her "ongoing struggles with the menopause".

But they were quickly slammed by MPs and former cops.

Home Secretary  has ordered the force to explain why the details were revealed and police have now referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Police then released a statement from Nicola's family, including partner Paul Ansell, begging for the public to "focus on finding her".

It read: "The police know the truth about Nikki and now the public need to focus on finding her.

"Due to the peri menopause Nikki suffered with significant side effects such as brain fog, restless sleep and was taking HRT to help but this was giving her intense headaches which caused Nikki to stop taking the HRT thinking that may have helped her but only ended up causing this crisis."