Updated 21 February: Lancashire police have formally identified the body found in the River Wyre on 19 February as missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley. It is understood that a man and a woman walking their dog near to the river called the police on Sunday after seeing a person in the water, with officers then launching a search.

“Today’s development is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, but we hope that it can at least start to provide some answers for Nicola’s loved ones, who remain foremost in our thoughts,” Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson told a news conference.

“We recognise the huge impact that Nicola’s disappearance has had on her family and friends, but also on the people of St Michael’s,” he added. “We would like to thank all of those who have helped during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation.”

Bulley’s family shared in a statement read by police that the formal identification confirmed “our worst fears”.

“We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us,” her family said. “We will never forget Nikki, how could we, she was the centre of our world, she was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that.”

The family also questioned the role of the press and members of the public who falsely accused Nicola’s husband of “wrongdoing” and “misquoted and vilified friends and family”.

As reported on 19 February: Police searching for the missing woman Nicola Bulley say they have found a body in the River Wyre close to where she disappeared.

In a statement released via Twitter, Lancashire Police said that an underwater search team and specialist officers had “sadly recovered a body” after they were called to the river this morning (19 February).

The statement confirmed that a formal identification had yet to take place, so officers were “unable to say” whether the body was Bulley’s.

That process is ongoing, and the death is currently being treated as unexplained. Bulley’s family have been informed of the latest developments. 

As reported 17 February: Former victims’ commissioner Dame Vera Baird has condemned the decision to release sensitive details about missing woman Nicola Bulley, calling it “as sexist as it comes”.

45-year-old Bulley has been missing since 27 January after vanishing when she took her dog for a walk by the River Wyre in Lancashire. The Lancashire constabulary is currently facing criticism for sharing that Bulley had experienced “significant issues with alcohol”, brought on by menopause, before she disappeared three weeks ago.

Baird said she thought the police would not have released such sensitive details had a man gone missing, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is a dreadful error to put this in the public domain for absolutely nothing and I’m afraid I think it’s as sexist as it comes”. Suella Braverman, the home secretary, also expressed her concerns to the force about the release of the personal information.

Initially, the force refused to elaborate on “vulnerabilities” that made Bulley a high-risk missing person, but later released a statement about her medical and mental health issues. It also reported a response car staffed by police and health workers “attended a report of concern for welfare” at her home on 10 January.

The case has captured public attention and it remains the police’s “working hypothesis” that Bulley fell into the River Wyre while taking her dog, Willow, for a walk. However, specialist divers have been unable to find any trace of the missing woman, leading to ongoing social media speculation and “armchair detectives” theorising and debating what may have happened online.

In a statement shared on 16 February, Bulley’s relatives asked the public to end the “appalling” levels of speculation and “rumours” about her private life, as they spoke about the “significant” side effects she faced from perimenopause.

Bulley reportedly suffered from brain fog and restless sleep and stopped taking hormone replacement drugs as these gave her “intense headaches”. Bulley’s family also said they had been aware in advance that the force was planning to release personal information about “Nikki”.

Defending the decision, Andrew Snowden, a Conservative politician and the police and crime commissioner for Lancashire, said the force were being “as transparent as they can be”. 

Images: Getty