‘Nothing less’ than an independent review will suffice
A day after Lancashire Police confirmed the body pulled from the River Wyre on Sunday was missing mum Nicola Bulley there are mounting calls for an independent inquiry to be launched into how officers missed it despite 23 days of extensive searches.
Dog walkers alerted police to the discovery of the missing mum-of-two, who was found in reeds a mile from where she was last seen walking her dog at 9.10am on January 27.
Former crime commissioner Martyn Underhill said Lancashire Police has serious questions to answer about its media strategy and search of the river – and “nothing less” than an independent review is needed.
'There are questionable decisions that have been made in this case, but they may well be justifiable.'
Former Police Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill, says an external force 'is needed to review the investigation' into Nicola Bulley's disappearance. pic.twitter.com/oaLWBViz52
— GB News (@GBNEWS) February 20, 2023
He told The Times: “These are crucial issues that go to public confidence. I may well be totally wrong and Lancashire might be completely vindicated.
“But I have never known a force to be so reluctant to seek external help — the Met and other forces all offered. The home secretary must get to the bottom of it.”
On Monday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she is not “wholly satisfied” with the force’s explanations for earlier revealing Nicola’s alcohol dependency and menopausal issues last Wednesday, something the Information Commissioner’s Office is now assessing. Separately, the Independent Office for Police Conduct are investigating the force over its earlier dealings with Nicola.
The Sun reports that Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are awaiting the outcome of those two investigations before deciding on an independent inquiry.
Braverman has said: “I did have concerns earlier in the week about some of the elements relating to the release of personal information into the public domain.
“I raised those concerns with the chief constable – I wasn’t wholly satisfied, I have to say, with some of the responses I got.
“There are some investigations ongoing. We must wait for them to conclude.”
Former Scotland Yard detective, Peter Bleksley, has also been highly critical of Lancashire Police.
He told Sky News: “The bottom line is Lancashire Police and all their experts and all their doctrines did not find Nicola.
“Two people walking along a river bank did.
“Leading experts in their field helped with the search in terms of tide and river movements.
“River movements can be complex but [Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith] also went on to say that a nationally-recognised searching doctrine had been followed.”
Bleksley also made that point that the force kept telling the public not to speculate what happened to Nicola, but then did exactly that themselves.
Related links:
- Family of Nicola Bulley slam media after missing body is identified
- Police confirm body found in river is that of missing mum Nicola Bulley
- Diving expert who searched for Nicola Bulley appears to blame police for failing to find her
- ‘Agony’ for Nicola Bulley’s family as they await identification of body found in search for missing mum
- Dog walker who found Nicola Bulley’s phone speaks out for the first time
- Lancashire police to be questioned over Nicola Bulley case
- Nicola Bulley’s friend says police shared her alcohol struggles to ‘shift focus’ off them
