Police are slammed for leaving Nicola Bulley’s family in a ‘terrible place’

Nicola Bulley’s partner, Paul, and their family are in a “terrible place” after detectives revealed to millions that the mother-of-two had battled drinking problems while dealing with menopause

Lancashire Police have been criticized for revealing that Nikki suffered from “some significant alcohol problems” in the past, which had resurfaced in recent months.

Experts have said it is “absolutely scandalous” that the information was withheld from him, as it would have changed the way he searched the St Michael’s stretch of the River Wyre. Others are angered by the decision to release his private medical information when his death has not been confirmed.

Ex-police officer turned investigative journalist, Mark Williams-Thomas, who helped expose Jimmy Savile’s crimes, will be investigating the disappearance of Ms. Bulley and is now in the area.

He tweeted today: “Had the police dealt with the high risk status early on, it would have provided much more understanding, leading to less confusion, public hysteria and media involvement (which the police have not dealt with) and would have caused less harm to Paul and his family. , you are right now after y/day in a terrible place’.

Expressing his own theories about what happened, he said: “I just can’t believe that she jumped into the water at the point next to the bank to her death for so many reasons.”

He said the ‘main lines’ he is considering are that Nikki ‘went into the water at a different point’, ‘she left on foot’ and ‘she is still in the area’.

“It is now clear why police did not forensically secure the scene and rule out third-party involvement so quickly, because they were treating Nicola Bulley as a high-risk missing person. But this action fueled speculation and criticism of the police when trust is always low.

After Lancashire Police revealed her alcohol problems “brought on by her ongoing struggles with menopause”, MPs and campaign groups strongly condemned the force.

Stella Creasy, Labor MP for Walthamstow, said: “The decision to reveal this level of detail about a missing person’s private life, without evidence that this is helping to find them, is deeply concerning.”

“The police need to be much clearer about why any of this helps find Nicola Bulley or supports this investigation.”

A diving expert involved in the search for Nicola Bulley said she “could have ended up in the sea” after police revealed she was “high risk” and had been struggling with alcohol.

Forensic search expert Peter Faulding said it is “absolutely shocking” that the information was withheld from him, as it would have changed the way he searched the stretch of the River Wyre at St Michael’s.

His comments follow Lancashire police revealing that the missing Mrs Bulley, 45, suffered “significant alcohol problems brought on by ongoing struggles with menopause”.

Police initially said yesterday that it had “vulnerabilities”, but hours later shared more details, explaining that they felt it was “important to clarify”.

However, the decision to publicly share personal information about the mother of two has been called “deeply concerning” by parliamentarians and activists.

Mrs Bulley disappeared while walking her dog along the River Wyre at St Michael’s on January 27.

A briefing yesterday explained that Ms Bulley was immediately classified as “high risk” when she was reported missing due to her “vulnerabilities”.

Although on February 3, detectives stated that Ms. Bulley was not ill and was not being treated for any illness.

Police also revealed that on January 10, officers conducted a wellness check at his home. They confirmed that no one has been arrested and that he is being investigated.

Peter Faulding previously said the mother-of-two couldn’t be in the river, after conducting a search on the premise she had gotten into it.

However, he now believes that she could be much lower if she intended to take her own life.

Mr Faulding told Jeremy Kyle on TalkTV that: “If she had jumped, intending to kill herself or walk away, that would change my whole plan.”

It could have ended up in the sea.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Faulding said: “I find it absolutely outrageous that this has not been shared with me.”

“It’s shameful and someone needs to take responsibility for this.”

It’s been nearly three weeks since Ms Bulley went missing, but a tracing expert advising police told The Times it can take up to 100 days to find a body in a river.

The expert, who was not named by the newspaper, said that in some cases the body is never found.

The day Mrs. Bulley disappeared, the river was flowing at a rate of 3.8 cubic meters per second.

Enough to carry her over the dam and down the river, according to the expert.

In Lancashire Police’s highly detailed public briefing, the force said it had an open mind but said there was no evidence anyone was involved.

It remains the ‘working hypothesis’ of the police that Nicola fell into the river while taking her dog away, although they were pursuing a number of lines of inquiry.

Ms Bulley, 45, had been struggling with menopause, experts say women go through menopause at the age of 51 on average, although it can start when someone is between the ages of 40 and 58.

During this period, the body undergoes major hormonal changes, as the ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone.

In the early stages, this causes hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, among other symptoms.

Reacting to the police announcement, the Walthamstow Labor MP questioned the decision to publicly disclose details about Ms Bulley’s personal life.

She tweeted: “The decision to reveal this level of detail about a missing person’s private life, without evidence that it is helping to find her, is deeply troubling.”

“The police need to be much clearer about why any of this helps find Nicola Bulley or supports this investigation.”

Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch said the decision to broadcast Ms Bulley’s health problems and hormonal status was a “serious invasion of her privacy with no obvious benefit to the research”.

Many social media users felt the decision highlighted police treatment of women, which has recently come under scrutiny following high-profile cases involving former officers such as Wayne Couzens and David Carrick.

Jamie Klingler, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, said she “didn’t get involved in the Nicola Bulley story until the police started using her as a shield to protect their own incompetence.”

‘This is not how you treat a missing woman. He is cruel to her babies and to her. And they do it all the time.

Good Law Project director Jo Maugham asked how police will justify their decision if the mother of two is found alive.

He tweeted: “If, as we all hope, Nicola Bulley is found alive, how will the police justify a breach of her confidentiality to, apparently, manage their own reputation?”

Meanwhile, Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton Alicia Kearns tweeted: “Deeply uncomfortable with police publishing Nicola Bulley’s so-called ‘vulnerabilities’ about menopause and alcohol.”

‘I am having a hard time determining how this will help the police in their search and investigations.

“I see how it would help those who want to blame the victims or go down.”

The briefing earlier in the day revealed that Ms Bulley’s long-term partner, Paul Ansell, had told them about a “number of specific vulnerabilities” which led them to treat her disappearance as “high risk”.

Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith said: “As soon as she was reported missing, following information that her partner Paul provided to police, and based on a number of specific vulnerabilities that we were made aware of, Nicola was listed as a high level”. risk.

‘That is normal in a missing persons investigation with the information we had. As any senior investigative officer does, he formulates a series of hypotheses, that is, scenarios that are possible based on the available information.

Yesterday, Lancashire Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said the force had done an “unprecedented amount of work” in the search for Nicola.

He said this had included visiting more than 300 locations, speaking to nearly 300 people, and receiving approximately 1,500 pieces of information.

The senior investigative officer, Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith, said at the time: “Those vulnerabilities informed our decision making in terms of classifying Nicola as high risk and have continued to be a part of my investigation throughout.”