Independent Review Criticises Police’s Handling of Nicola Bulley Investigation

The College of Policing found that the release of personal details such as health issues were both “avoidable” and “unnecessary” as Lancashire police investigated the disappearance of Nicola Bulley in early 2023.

Nicola Bulley went missing on 23 January while walking her dog along the River Wyre at St Michael’s on Wyre. She had left her children at school less than an hour before her dog was found wandering alone. Her phone was abandoned on a bench, still connected to a Microsoft Teams.

The peculiar circumstances of Bulley’s disappearance led to huge public interest. The Lancashire police struggled to deal with the subsequent media frenzy.

“The media narrative was lost at an early stage,” Andrew Snowden, Police and Crime Commissioner, wrote upon the report‘s release.

During the investigation, police released to the media some personal information. These included the fact Bulley was going through menopause and had some “alcohol issues”. As well as being criticised in the report, the release of this information caused concern at the time even from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Many questioned whether these health struggles would have been made public in the case of a missing man.

Dr. Iain Raphael, who led the review, added, “The report makes clear that without this speculation can run unchecked and result in an extraordinary explosion of media and public interest in the case. Policing must also recognise the impact social media now has. Ultimately, police should seek to be the first with the truth and ensure the public has access to accurate and authoritative information when it is most needed.”

Critical incident

The report also criticised Lancashire police for failing to call the investigation a critical incident.

“The decision to not call the investigation a critical incident, despite it meeting the national definition, set the tone within the Constabulary, and led to several challenges. The most notable of these was the way the constabulary released personal information about Nicola which was avoidable and unnecessary,” wrote Chief Constable Andy Marsh, College of Policing CEO.

Despite these shortcomings, the investigation and search were “well conducted”, according to the review. Bulley’s body was eventually found in the river on 19 February, about one mile downstream of St Michael’s on Wyre. Her cause of death was ruled accidental drowning.

The review found no indication that different actions by officers may have led to her body being found earlier, Snowden added.

He wrote, “I hope today’s report reassures Nicola’s family that Lancashire Constabulary carried out a professional and extensive investigation and despite important learnings highlighted in the report, none of these actions would have changed the outcome of this tragic case.”

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