Nicola Bulley LIVE updates: Police confirm body found in River Wyre is missing mum
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The body was found on Sunday morning in the River Wyre in Lancashire, around a mile from where the 45-year-old mortgage adviser was last seen.
Follow our live blog for the latest information.
Nicola Bulley: Latest updates after body found in River Wyre
Key Events
- Body found in river is missing mother Nicola Bulley, confirm police
- Nicola’s family issue statement: “We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments”
No police presence at section of river where body discovered
There is no police presence this afternoon at the scene where the body was discovered next to Rawcliffe Road this afternoon.
This morning, police officers and community support officers were seen on patrol around the village of St Michael’s on Wyre.
Daffodils and yellow ribbons were still on the bridge through the village, along with a red rose and a bunch of red carnations.
Family in ‘agony’ after body discovered in river
Nicola’s partner, Paul Ansell, told Sky News of his “agony” after the discovery was made in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road in St Michael’s on Wyre at around 11.35am on Sunday.
Police working to ID body found in River Wyre
Lancashire Police say procedures to formally identify the body are on-going and detectives are currently treating the death as ‘unexplained’.
They are unable to say for certain at this stage whether it is Nicola, but added that her partner Paul and her family have been informed.
“Our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected,” said the force.
Search expert insists Nicola Bulley did not drown in the stretch of river near the bench
Underwater search expert Peter Faulding - who sweeped the River Wyre with sonar in search of a body - said he still does not believe she drowned near the bench where her phone and dog’s harness were found.
He has faced criticism for fuelling speculation on social media and lending credence to conspiracy theorists following his many TV appearances in which he repeatedly raised doubts about the police theory that Nicola entered the river.
He told GB News: “I would like to make it very clear that the police have searched that area with sonar and divers for the last three weeks. We spent four hours searching for Nicola on that strip of the river.
“I categorically confirm that Nicola was not on the river bed, we would have seen her body.
“There’s no way and my whole team and other police have looked at this. The police know that there was no sign of Nicola on the bottom.”
Statement from underwater search expert Peter Faulding
Underwater search expert Peter Faulding has defended his failure to find Nicola Bulley in the River Wyre after making further appearances on TV news today (Monday, February 20).
Speaking to GBNews, the chief executive of Specialist Group International (SGI) re-stated his belief that the mum-of-two did not drown in the stretch of river where her phone was found on January 27.
The 60-year-old was asked to explain how he failed to find any trace of a body during his team’s high-profile three day search of the water earlier this month.
“I categorically confirm that Nicola was not on the river bed, we would have seen her body,” said Mr Faulding.
You can read his full statement below...
Updated expected from police today
Police are expected to provide an update later today after a body was recovered from the River Wyre on Sunday - less than a mile from where Nicola vanished.
Incredibly heartbroken
Inzamam Rashid of Sky News said he had been in touch with Ms Bulley’s relatives via text messages.
He said: ‘They are incredibly heartbroken by this significant development from Lancashire Police.’
St Michael’s on Wyre as seen on Google Earth - the left circle is where a body has been found, the right circle is where Nicola Bulley’s mobile phone was discovered
