Watchdog launches probe into Lancashire Police over contact with Nicola Bulley days before she died
Police watchdog launches probe into Lancashire Police over ‘welfare check’ on Nicola Bulley 17 days before she vanished – as inquest hears mother was identified by dental records after her body was found in river
The police watchdog has confirmed it is launching an investigation into contact between Nicola Bulley and Lancashire Police days before she went missing.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct says it is probing a visit made by an officer to the family home as part of a welfare check on January 10 – 17 days before the mother’s disappearance.
A spokesperson said: ‘Following a referral by Lancashire Constabulary on Thursday, we have started an independent investigation regarding contact the force had with Nicola Bulley on January 10, 2023.
‘We were notified by the force that an officer attended the family home on that date as part of a welfare check. Our thoughts are with Ms Bulley’s family and friends, and all of those affected by her death. Our investigation is in its very early stages.’
Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden has also today asked the College of Policing to carry out a ‘full, independent review’ into the handling of the case.
Mother of two Nicola Bulley (pictured) was discovered on Sunday morning in the River Wyre in Lancashire, more than three weeks after she disappeared
Ms Bulley, 45, and her partner Paul Ansell. An inquest was opened into her death at Lancashire Coroner’s Court today
He said: ‘The public understandably feel that there remain questions about the handling of elements of the police investigation, how it was communicated and the decision to release personal information which need to be answered and explained.
‘In my role as commissioner, as the public’s voice in policing in Lancashire, I also need to put in place the appropriate scrutiny to seek the right assurances and to ensure I am effectively holding the Constabulary to account.
‘I have therefore taken the decision to commission a full independent review into the handling of this case, with clearly defined terms of reference, to ensure lessons can be learned, not just for Lancashire, but for all forces. This includes how such cases can be best investigated and communicated under such spotlight and scrutiny.’
Mr Snowden added that he had spoken to the chief executive of the College of Policing and met with the chief officer team of Lancashire Constabulary to outline the scope and nature of the review.
He continued: ‘Given the amount of misinformation on social media, poorly-informed opinions given national airtime, the attacks on senior leaders’ personal appearance and family lives, along with the intrusion into the privacy of Nicola’s family, it is important that a professional, thorough and informed review is undertaken by a national independent body, with the right skills and resources, understanding of the current standards and access to the investigation information.
‘I am sure there will be lessons to be learned for Lancashire Constabulary, the broader policing sector and others from this case, as there are from most major investigations, and I will keep the public informed of the findings in due course.’
It comes after the opening of an inquest into Ms Bulley’s death today heard she was identified by dental records.
A man views floral tributes and messages to Ms Bulley on a footbridge over the River Wyre
A full inquest into the death of Ms Bulley, pictured with her partner Mr Ansell, is likely to be held in June
Ms Bulley’s sister Louise Cunningham shared this yellow heart today
Louise, pictured left with her late sister, had been central to the social media campaign to find her missing sibling
The mother of two, 45, was found by members of the public in the reeds of the River Wyre in Lancashire on Sunday – a mile from the bench where her mobile phone had been recovered 23 days earlier.
No family members were present and no cause of death was provided during the short four-minute hearing, with the case adjourned until June later this year.
Senior coroner Dr James Adeley said he had contacted consultant maxillofacial surgeon Ian Edwards to ask him to compare dental records obtained by police from the Great Eccleston dental surgery.
He told the court: ‘I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities, and more, that positive identification has been made.’
Dr Adeley added: ‘The family have been informed of the date, time and place of the opening of the inquest and have chosen not to attend for reasons I can quite understand.’
He said the remaining evidence gathered by police and the post-mortem examination required ‘further evaluation’, adding that the full inquest was likely to be held in June – once availability of a Home Office pathologist had been checked.
The coroner continued: ‘This will allow time to collate the facts of the case and allow the experts involved to finalise the findings from investigations that still need to be undertaken.’
It comes after Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell, 44, and relatives said police had confirmed their ‘worst fears’ when the body was formally identified on Monday.
Ms Bulley’s body was found on a stretch of the river just past a slight bend, a mile or so outside the village, close to where a tree had fallen on its side half in and half out of the water, with branches and undergrowth partially submerged.
Flowers are left at the place where the phone of Mr Bulley was found close to the River Wyre last month
Floral tributes and messages left at the village bridge over the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire
Meanwhile, TikTok has vowed to take action against social media sleuths who disrupted the search and posted distressing conspiracy theories online.
It said in a statement: ‘Our thoughts are with Ms Bulley’s family and friends at this difficult time. We have mobilised resources to monitor the evolving conversation about this case.
‘We are taking action against violations of our community guidelines, including removing content and accounts, and limiting the reach of some content by making it ineligible for recommendation.’
Police have also come under fire for their handling of the investigation, with calls for an independent inquiry intensifying yesterday.
Last week, Lancashire Police called out social media sleuths at a press conference in which they revealed more information about the day Ms Bulley disappeared.
Police then revealed she was classed as a ‘high risk’ missing person from the start of the investigation, due to having ‘specific vulnerabilities’ which included ‘significant issues’ with alcohol brought on by ongoing struggles with the menopause.
Investigators said it had taken the ‘unusual step’ to disclose this level of detail as it was ‘important to clarify what we meant when we talked about vulnerabilities to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation’.