Nicola Bulley – latest: Police confirm body is missing mother as family condemn media

The press and members of the public “must be held accountable” for false accusations, misquotations and “vilifying” Nicola Bulley’s friends and relatives, her family has said.

In a statement read out at a press conference by Lancashire Police, they said: “It saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them [Nicola Bulley’s two daughters] that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family.

“This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family. We tried last night to take in what we had been told in the day. Only to have Sky News and ITV making contact with us directly when we expressly asked for privacy.

They again have taken it upon themselves to run stories about us to sell papers and increase their own profits. It is shameful they have acted in this way. Leave us alone now.

“Do the press and other media channels and so-called professionals not know when to stop? These are our lives and our children’s lives. To those who genuinely helped and supported us privately we thank you.”

Nicola Bulley’s family have said they “will never forget” the mother-of-two who was “the centre of our world”.

In a statement read out by Lancashire Police, they said: “Our family liaison officers have had to confirm our worst fears today. We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us.

“We will never forget Nikki – how could we? She was the centre of our world. She was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that.

“Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most.”

The case is now being handled by His Majesty’s Coroner, police have said.

Police have confirmed that the body found in the River Wyre on Sunday is Nicola Bulley.

“Sadly we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre. Nicola’s family have been informed and are of course devastated,” a senior officer said.

“Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community.”

Downing Street has declined to comment on the possibility of an independent external review of Lancashire Police and its handling of the Nicola Bulley case.

Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “You have heard the concerns of the prime minister before.

“He welcomed the fact there was an internal investigation, I think the first step is to allow that to take place and see what the findings are, so I am not going to comment before that. We think it is appropriate that this investigation is taking place.”

“We will wait and see what the findings of that are before commenting further on the investigation, given it is a live case,” the spokesman added.

Nusrit Mehtab, a former superintendent for the Metropolitan Police, has said she “did not understand” how disclosing elements of Nicola Bulley’s personal life “was going to help find her body or find her alive.”

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Mehtab said: “If that comes out, and you’re already feeling isolated, and had she left on her own accord, does it make you all of a sudden want to come back and make that entry easier?”

“I think that it’s victim blaming and every time stuff happens with women - we haven’t heard about a man down the pub with erectile dysfunction that has pints every day. We don’t see those headlines because it’s always our fault.

“It’s our fault when things go wrong, and it always puts the lens back on women.”

Lancashire Police will have to “justify” its decision to disclose details of Nicola Bulley’s struggles with alcohol and menopause, a former police chief has said.

Ex-chief constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Peter Fahy added: “They felt it was in the interest, and the public interest, of the investigation to release that information. I don’t know if it was right or wrong.

“I think the level of criticism has been completely unjustified,” he told Sky News.

“There’s a wider issue here about when officers are under this degree of press interest... but particularly all the issues on social media, which I know are very difficult to counter.”

Sir Peter also said there was pressure on detectives by members of the public travelling to St Michael’s on Wyre to conduct their own searches.

He said that the force’s communication strategy will be accountable to the region’s police and crime commissioner, and that “huge amounts of personal details are released about a person’s personal medical, mental health background” during an inquest.

Police investigating the disappearance of Nicola Bulley have to answer “serious questions” over why it took more than three weeks to find a body in the River Wyre, experts have said.

Lancashire Police have not yet confirmed whether the person, who was found by dog walkers on Sunday morning, is Ms Bulley and formal identification is ongoing, but her family have been made aware of developments.

The body was found just a mile from where the 45-year-old was last seen, walking her dog after dropping her two daughters off at school on 27 January.

Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden reports: