Death of Nicola Bulley
Publicity photo of Nicola Bulley
LocationSt Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, UK
CauseAccidental drowning
Reported missing27 January 2023 (2023-01-27)
Body found19 February 2023 (2023-02-19)

On 27 January 2023, British woman Nicola Bulley disappeared whilst walking her dog in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, UK. Lancashire Constabulary said that there was no evidence of either suspicious activity or third party involvement in the disappearance and quickly stated that their working hypothesis was that she had fallen into the River Wyre. However, an extensive search of the river and surrounding land involving police divers, helicopters, sniffer dogs and drones found no body. On 19 February, Bulley's body was found in the river by a man and a woman walking in the area, about one mile (1.5 kilometres) downstream of St Michael's on Wyre. The inquest, which concluded in June 2023, determined that Bulley's death was due to accidental drowning.

The police were criticised for their handling of the case, including releasing private details of Bulley's health. Members of the public, particularly users of social media, were also criticised for travelling to the area during the search and for what the police described as "[playing] private detectives".

Background

Nicola Jane Bulley, aged 45, was born in Essex in 1977.[1] She was educated at William de Ferrers School in South Woodham Ferrers[2] and moved to Lancashire in the late 1990s.[3] She had two daughters with her 44-year-old partner,[4] and the family lived in the village of Inskip. Bulley was a mortgage adviser.[5] Bulley suffered from issues relating to alcohol and perimenopause,[6] and police and health professionals attended the family home on 10 January to respond to a "concern for welfare".[7]

Disappearance

On Friday 27 January 2023, Bulley drove from her home to the nearby village of St Michael's on Wyre, where, after dropping her children off at school at approximately 08:40 GMT,[8] she walked along the River Wyre with her springer spaniel.[5] At 08:53, Bulley sent an email to her employer.[9] At 08:57 she sent a text to a friend to arrange a meet-up for their children that week.[10] She then joined a Microsoft Teams call at 09:01, keeping her phone's camera and microphone disengaged.[9]

Bulley was last seen at approximately 09:10 on a riverside field walking with her dog off its lead.[11][12] At 09:20, Bulley's phone was believed to be in the vicinity of a riverside bench.[8] At 09:30, the Teams call ended.[13] At 09:33, a passer-by discovered the phone (which was still connected to the call[lower-alpha 1]) on the bench.[15] Bulley's dog was found alone near the bench and showed no signs of having been in the river.[5][16] The dog's harness was found on the ground between the bench and the river.[8][15]

Investigation

The River Wyre, upstream of St Michael's on Wyre, near to where Bulley's dog and phone were found

Police

After the report of Bulley's disappearance, Lancashire Constabulary immediately graded Bulley as "high risk" because of "specific vulnerabilities" due to "significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause".[8][17][7] The classification increased the priority and resources assigned to the investigation.[8]

The search for Bulley was initially focused on tracing a potential witness, a woman in a red coat spotted on CCTV walking a dog near the site of Bulley's disappearance. She was later identified as a 68-year-old woman, who confirmed she had not seen Bulley.[18][19] On 4 February, police released a CCTV image of another woman who was seen, pushing a pram, in the area at the time of Bulley's disappearance; the police later reported that the woman had come forward very quickly.[20][21]

Searches of the river and riverbank from St Michael's on Wyre to the sea found nothing of interest.[22][23] On 3 February, Lancashire Constabulary stated that they believed the circumstances of Bulley's disappearance were not suspicious, nor criminal and did not involve a third party.[22] Police speculation that Bulley had fallen into the River Wyre was met with criticism and scepticism by Bulley's family and friends. They stated that the hypothesis was unsupported by evidence, whilst Bulley's partner said that he was convinced she was not in the river.[24][13][25] A Lancashire Constabulary superintendent reiterated that this remained the force's working hypothesis,[13] and they were "as sure as [they] can be" that Bulley had not left the area.[26][27]

The search involved police divers, a helicopter, sniffer dogs and drones,[20] and was assisted by the Coastguard, Mountain Rescue and fire crews.[13] Members of the public helped with the search,[28] and police requested the community look out for the clothing Bulley was known to be wearing.[20] She had worn her Fitbit, although its last data synchronization was before her disappearance and its account was not useful to the investigation.[23][29][8] On 9 February, the search moved to Morecambe Bay, the mouth of the River Wyre.[30]

At a press conference held on 15 February by Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson and Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith, Lancashire Constabulary stated that there remained no evidence of criminal activity nor of third-party involvement in Bulley's disappearance.[8] Smith was critical of users of social media such as TikTok, who had visited the area "[playing] private detectives"; she stated that false information, speculation and rumour had been detrimental to the police investigation and had adversely affected Bulley's family.[8] Later the same day, the police clarified comments in the conference referring to Bulley's "specific vulnerabilities" by specifying that they related to alcohol and the menopause, and also stated that police had attended a concern for welfare report at her home on 10 January.[7] Police also put in place a dispersal order, after social media video-makers caused a nuisance and disrupted the investigation.[31]

Private search team

Peter Faulding led an independent search effort by his company, Specialist Group International, that used side-scan sonar.[32][33] He described Bulley's disappearance as "strange" and said that in his 20-year career he had "never seen something so unusual".[34][35] After an extensive search of the River Wyre, the underwater team concluded their operation. Faulding said that his team were unable to locate her in the area of the River Wyre where detectives thought she may have entered the water, stating: "That area is completely negative—there is no sign of Nicola in that area. The main focus will be the police investigation down the river, which leads out to the estuary." Faulding believed it was unlikely that Bulley had been swept out to sea, adding, "My personal view is that I think it is a long way to go in a tidal river."[36]

Recovery of body and inquest

The Wyre downstream of St Michael's on Wyre, near to where Bulley's body was found

On 19 February 2023, Bulley's body was found in the river by a man and a woman out walking their dog,[37] about one mile (1.6 km) downstream of St Michael's on Wyre.[38][39][40] The couple informed the police, and the body was subsequently recovered from among reeds and undergrowth.[38][40] Police set up a tent beside the river and a police helicopter operated above the area.[41] Some members of the public tried to take photos of the body by climbing over a fence and pretending to be journalists;[42] a man was later arrested for a malicious communications offence and perverting the course of justice relating to him recording video within the police cordon.[43]

On 20 February, Lancashire Constabulary confirmed that the body was Bulley's. She was identified from dental records,[44] but the cause of death could not immediately be established.[45] An inquest was opened on 22 February, at Preston coroner's court, before senior coroner James Adeley, once identification was confirmed, adjourned proceedings.[44] On 11 April, Lancashire Police divers returned to the river under direction of the coroner.[46]

On 26 June, the inquest heard that Bulley's mobile phone and Fitbit watch data suggested she entered the water at 09:22. The cause of her death was established to be accidental drowning,[47] with no evidence that Bulley had been harmed before she went into the water.[48][49]

Criticism of the media and of Lancashire Police

After confirming Bulley's death at a press conference, Lancashire Police read a statement from Bulley's family in which they condemned the actions of Sky News and ITV News for making contact directly with them when they had expressly requested privacy, describing the conduct of media outlets as "shameful". The family also criticised people who accused Bulley's partner of involvement in her disappearance.[38] Baroness Wheatcroft, former editor of the Sunday Telegraph, said the media had invaded the family's privacy, calling it a "feeding frenzy".[50] On 21 February, the broadcasting regulator Ofcom said it was "extremely concerned" to hear complaints about media conduct made by Bulley's family, and that it had written to both ITV and Sky News to ask them to explain their actions.[51]

The police's revelation of Bulley's health details was criticised by many. Home Secretary Suella Braverman asked the force to justify its decision. Vera Baird commented that, if publicising the details would have aided the search, it should have been done immediately and said otherwise she thought it sexist.[52] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer both expressed concerns;[53] other critics included Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt,[54] and MPs Stella Creasy and Alicia Kearns.[55] Lancashire Constabulary's media strategy as a whole has been criticised as having encouraged rumour and speculation.[56] After a review of the force's disclosures during the case, the Information Commissioner's Office decided to take no enforcement action, with more details expected to be released following the inquest in June.[57]

Guardian columnist Zoe Williams called police discussion of Bulley's health "the worst judgment call on the police's part [...] There was no call for that level of detail; it appeared to be introduced purely to discredit her as a rational actor."[58] Williams extended her criticism to the general public, via social media, which reacted entirely contrarily, in her opinion, to how reason and tact would dictate in the early stages of the case when police released minimal information. "Everything the police left unsaid opened a vacuum, into which armchair detectives and keyboard warriors piled with conspiracies, speculation and fantasy. The glee and shamelessness of people broadcasting their vigilante investigations was chilling", extending to one YouTuber broadcasting himself joining the search, getting arrested on a public order charge for doing so, and then broadcasting himself again getting fined. When the theories circulating forced the police to hold their 15 February news conference to debunk them, she noted, two Daily Mail columnists tweeted links to columns criticising Detective Superintendent Smith for having worn a sleeveless dress. "It's a crowded field but this may have been a low point for traditional media," she wrote.[58]

Reviews of the police's contact with Bulley earlier in January were opened by the Independent Office for Police Conduct after self-referral by the Lancashire Constabulary,[44][59] It concluded in May, finding "no misconduct or wrongdoing", but did identify two areas for improvement.[57] A separate review by the College of Policing was initiated at the request of the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner, Andrew Snowden.[60] It will investigate aspects of the investigation and search for Bulley; it is expected to produce a report in the autumn.[57] Lancashire Constabulary also began an internal review into their handling of the case.[44] Later in February, Specialist Group International, who had conducted the unsuccessful sonar searches of the river, were removed from the National Crime Agency's Expert Advisers Database, pending a review of the case by the NCA.[33]

Independent review

In November 2023, a report of an independent review of Lancashire Police's handling of Bulley's disappearance was published.[61] The report criticised the force for revealing details of her health history.[62][63] These failings reportedly caused public speculation.[64]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Microsoft Teams allows a single user to remain connected to a meeting for ten minutes after its end before the system deems the meeting "stale" and automatically terminates it[14]

References

  1. ↑ Day-Parker, Jessica (31 January 2023). "Family of missing mum from Essex in 'perpetual hell' as major search continues". The Echo. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  2. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Childhood friends in Essex invited to memorial gathering". BBC News. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  3. ↑ O'Leary, Abigail; Bone, Hollie (15 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley cops explain missing mum's health issues that recently resurfaced". Mirror. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  4. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Missing mother's partner says she's vanished into thin air". BBC News. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 McGuinness, Ross (3 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley: One week on, what happened in the hour before her disappearance?". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Family will 'never understand final moments'". BBC News. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "Nicola Bulley: Missing mother had alcohol issues, police say". BBC News. 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Nicola Bulley: Lancashire Police hold press conference amid search for missing mother". BBC News. 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 Lough, Catherine; Johnston, Neil (15 February 2023). "A minute-by-minute look at the crucial 24 hours when Nicola Bulley vanished". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  10. ↑ Atkinson, Emily (16 February 2023). "Timeline of Nicola Bulley case as police say they visited home before disappearance". Independent. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  11. ↑ Grierson, Jamie; Rawlinson, Kevin (3 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley: the mystery of 10-minute window in which she disappeared". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  12. ↑ "Nicola Bulley search: What we're missing dog walker's movements before she disappeared?". Sky News. 4 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Nicola Bulley: Missing mother fell in river, police believe". BBC News. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  14. ↑ Redmond, Tony (13 July 2022). "Stale Teams Meetings Terminate Automatically". office365itpros.com. Office365 IT Pros. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  15. 1 2 O'Leary, Abigail; Macpherson, Jon (2 February 2023). "Passerby raised the alarm after finding Nicola's 'worried' dog wandering alone". LancsLive. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Missing mum's family 'stuck in a nightmare'". BBC News. 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Mother a high-risk missing person, police say". BBC News. 15 February 2023. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  18. ↑ McGee, Sarah (3 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley: Women 'fearful' of going out despite police reassurance". Lancashire Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  19. ↑ Bone, Hollie (3 February 2023). "Mystery woman in red coat tells police she didn't see missing mum-of-two". Mirror. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 "Nicola Bulley: Witness comes forward in search for missing mum". BBC News. 4 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  21. ↑ "Witness comes forward in Nicola Bulley case as police warn against speculation". The Guardian. 5 February 2023. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Nicola Bulley case - latest: Issue with dog could have led missing Nicola Bulley to river, police say". Sky News. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Missing Nicola Bulley - latest update". Lancashire Constabulary. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  24. ↑ "Bulley's partner '100% convinced' she's not in river". BBC News. 11 February 2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  25. ↑ "Sister of missing Nicola Bulley questions police suggestion that missing mother fell into the river". ITV News. 4 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  26. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Friend shares images of missing mum on day she vanished". BBC News. 5 February 2023. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  27. ↑ "'Something's not right': Dive squad brought into Nicola Bulley hunt say they will 'find her if she is in the river'". LBC. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  28. ↑ Armstrong, Jeremy; Whittingham, Stewart (5 February 2023). "Last known pics of Nicola Bulley going for school run on day she vanished shared". Mirror. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  29. ↑ Topping, Stephen (5 February 2023). "Police 'examining missing dog walker's Fitbit data' in hope to retrace last steps". Independent. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  30. ↑ "Police issue update in search for missing Nicola Bulley". News and Star. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  31. ↑ Vinter, Robyn; Grierson, Jamie; Halliday, Josh (20 February 2023). "'Misquoted and vilified': Nicola Bulley's family attack media as body identified". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  32. ↑ Casciani, Dominic (21 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley: Why can it take so long to find bodies?". BBC News.
  33. 1 2 Atkinson, Emily (27 February 2023). "Diver who searched for Nicola Bulley 'struck off National Crime Agency expert list'". Independent.
  34. ↑ "Nicola Bulley search expert says case is most unusual". BBC News. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  35. ↑ Zakir-Hussain, Maryam (8 February 2023). "5 things forensics expert claims don't add up about missing dog walker disappearance". Independent. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  36. ↑ Badshah, Nadeem (8 February 2023). "Underwater team pull out of Nicola Bulley search after no body found". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  37. ↑ "Nicola Bulley's partner tells of 'agony' after body found in river". Independent. 20 February 2023.
  38. 1 2 3 "Nicola Bulley: Police to make statement after body found". BBC News. 20 February 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  39. ↑ Maidment, Adam (19 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley search expert Peter Faulding speaks after police discover body". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  40. 1 2 "Nicola Bulley: Lancashire Police find body in River Wyre". BBC News. 19 February 2023. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  41. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Roads closed in search for missing mother". BBC News. 19 February 2023. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  42. ↑ McGuinness, Ross (20 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley: Members of public 'climb fence to photograph body' found in river". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023 – via AOL.
  43. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Man, 34, arrested over police scene footage". BBC News. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  44. 1 2 3 4 Halliday, Josh (22 February 2023). "Police behind Nicola Bulley search face two investigations". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  45. ↑ Singh, Namita; Skoulding, Lucy; Atkinson, Emily (20 February 2023). "Diver defends Nicola Bulley search after body found in reeds". Independent. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  46. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Police divers carry out work for coroner in River Wyre". BBC News. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  47. ↑ "Nicola Bulley's death was an accident, coroner rules". BBC News. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  48. ↑ Fenton, Amy; Britton, Paul (26 June 2023). "Nicola Bulley inquest begins as coroner examines her tragic death". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  49. ↑ "Nicola Bulley died by drowning, inquest hears". BBC News. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  50. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Ex-editor demands scrutiny of media coverage". BBC News. 21 February 2023.
  51. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Ofcom 'extremely concerned' by family media complaints". BBC News. 21 February 2023.
  52. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Home secretary asks police to explain health disclosures". BBC News. 17 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  53. ↑ "PM says he is concerned about Nicola Bulley disclosures". BBC News. 18 February 2023.
  54. ↑ "Nicola Bulley search: Mordaunt says health revelations sexist and shocking". BBC News. 19 February 2023.
  55. ↑ Brown, Mark (16 February 2023). "Nicola Bulley: MPs criticise police over release of personal details". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  56. ↑ Vinter, Robyn (16 February 2023). "'Car crash' police communications on Nicola Bulley case fuelled speculation". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  57. 1 2 3 "Nicola Bulley: Lancashire Police face no action over details disclosure". BBC News. 9 May 2023.
  58. 1 2 Williams, Zoe (20 February 2023). "The carnival of hysteria over Nicola Bulley shows us the very worst of modern human nature". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  59. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Police watchdog to probe police visit". BBC News. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  60. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Police handling of case to be reviewed". BBC News. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  61. ↑ "Nicola Bulley review: Key report findings at a glance". BBC News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  62. ↑ "Nicola Bulley: Report criticises police for revealing her health struggles". Sky News. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  63. ↑ Vinter, Robyn; correspondent, Robyn Vinter North of England (21 November 2023). "Diver in Nicola Bulley search caused 'false alarm' to family, report says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  64. ↑ Evans, Martin (21 November 2023). "Nicola Bulley police failings led to 'explosion of speculation', report finds". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
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