Nicola Bulley update as Home Secretary demands police ‘explanation’ over private life revelations

The Home Secretary has demanded an “explanation” from Lancashire Police over the decision to reveal details of Nicola Bulley’s private life.

A source close to Suella Braverman said she was “concerned” after the force disclosed at a press conference that the missing mum-of-two suffered “some significant issues with alcohol” in the past, which had resurfaced over recent months.

The Home Office said it was receiving regular updates from the force about its handling of the case, including “why personal details about Nicola was briefed out at this stage of the investigation”.

Lancashire Police has also referred itself to the police watchdog over contact officers had with the 45-year-old before she disappeared on 27 January. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was assessing the information to determine whether an investigation would be necessary.

The referral comes after Ms Bulley’s family called for an end to the “speculation and rumours” about her private life, and said “Nikki would not have wanted this”.

In a statement issued through the force on Thursday (16 February), they said: “We, as a family, believe that the public focus has become distracted from finding Nikki, and more about speculation and rumours into her and Paul’s private life.

“As a family, we were aware beforehand that Lancashire Police, last night, released a statement with some personal details about our Nikki. Although we know that Nikki would not have wanted this, there are people out there speculating and threatening to sell stories about her. This is appalling and needs to stop.

Concluding their statement, Ms Bulley’s family issued a direct plea for her to return, saying: “Your girls want a cuddle.” It read: “Nikki is such a wonderful daughter, sister, partner and mother and is missed dearly, we all need you back in our lives. Nikki, we hope you are reading this and know that we love you so much and your girls want a cuddle. We all need you home.”

Ms Bulley’s parents, Ernest, 73, and Dot Bulley, 72, left a yellow ribbon tied to the bridge over the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, where their daughter vanished on 27 January  after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school, with a message that read: “We pray every day for you. Love you, Mum + Dad XXX.”

A second ribbon, believed to be from Ms Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunningham, read: “Nikki please come home. I love you. Lou XXX”.

‘A sexist error’

Lancashire Police has come under heavy criticism for revealing the details about Ms Bulley’s “vulnerabilities” in the weeks before her disappearance that it said made her “high risk”. The force later added in a statement that she had been struggling with alcohol issues and the menopause, and had stopped taking HRT medication.

The former victims’ commissioner has accused police of making a “sexist” error after disclosing the personal information and said the decision to do so was “dreadful”. Dame Vera Baird said she is worried it will stop people making complaints in the future and also questioned if such details would have been released if she was a man.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m afraid this is the biggest error that I have seen for quite a long time. It’s going to just, you know, very sadly, to undermine trust in the police yet further.

“I’m sure they would have explained themselves if they had an explanation… if it was relevant, it needed to be in a public domain at the start and it wasn’t. I mean, that is a really worrying error. It is frankly dreadful.”

Asked if it was an error that would have been made if the potential victim was a man, she said: “I do not think that it would. Would we have had police officers saying, you know, if it was Nicholas, he’s been unfortunately tied down with alcohol because he’s been suffering from erectile dysfunction for the last few weeks?

“I think not. You can hear all the senior police officers squirming as I say it, I would have thought. 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.”

The Conservative police and crime commissioner for Lancashire Andrew Snowden said the force was being as “transparent” as it could following the press conference.

Ms Bulley vanished after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27 in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire. She was last seen at 9.10am on 27 January taking her usual route with her springer spaniel Willow, alongside the River Wyre.

Her phone, still connected to a work call for her job as a mortgage adviser, was found just over 20 minutes later on a bench overlooking the riverbank, with her dog running loose. She has still not been found and detectives have now extended the search for her to the sea.