Nicola Bulley smiles with a field behind her
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Nicola Bulley: Police issue statement over ‘misinformed speculation’ surrounding new search

Nicola's body was found in February three weeks after she disappeared

Lancashire Police involved in the Nicola Bulley investigation have issued a statement over what they call “misinformed speculation”. This comes as the area where she was found was searched again.

Nicola went missing in January while walking her dog near the River Wyre. However her body wasn’t found for almost three weeks following her disappearance.

As specialist divers once again headed to the River Wyre this week, an expert waded in to suggest they were “looking for something specific.”

However, police have now responded to this rumour. They have shut down the idea that something is amiss.

Nicola Bulley smiling
The 45-year-old went missing in January (Credit: BBC)

Divers return to the river in Nicola Bulley case

Earlier this week Lancashire Police confirmed that coroners requested that they re-search the river. This is so as to get a “complete picture” of how 45-year-old Nicola died.

However, forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd shared speculation with The Mirror, that something didn’t add up.

“I’m really struggling to see what they could be looking for now that would affect or influence the cause of death,” he said.

“When Nicola’s body was found it would have been taken to the morgue and a formal post-mortem would have been carried out where it would have looked for natural diseases, any injuries, and samples would have been taken for alcohol drugs.”

He then continued, speculating: “They must have a reason to do it though – my guess is there is something like an artefact of some sort that they are trying to make sure to find it. My sense is they want to be absolutely sure that something they can’t quite locate isn’t still in the river. My feeling is they are looking for something specific.”

Lancashire Police issue statment

In a statement reported by The Sun, Lancashire Police have responded to the idea they are searching for something specific. Their statement said: “There has been misinformed speculation over the past few days relating to police activity in the River Wyre.

“As previously stated, police divers were acting under instruction of HM Senior Coroner and had been asked to assess the riverbanks in the vicinity of where Nicola Bulley went missing.

“They had not been tasked either to perform any further searches within the river or along the banks or to locate any articles. This activity is to assist with the coronial process.”

ED! has contacted Lancashire Police for comment.

Nicola Bulley smiles with her dog on the river bank
Nicola went missing in January while out walking her dog (Credit: Shutterstock)

What happened to Nicola Bulley?

On January 27, mum-of-two Nicola Bulley went missing while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

Nicola was last seen at 9.10am on a riverside field. Her phone was found on a bench next to the river, along with her dog.

Police searched the river and riverbank from St Michael’s on Wyre to the sea, but found nothing of interest. However, on February 20 – three weeks after her disappearance – Nicola’s body was found by dog walkers, a mile downstream from where she was last seen.

Her cause of death has not yet been established. An inquest into Nicola’s death is going to be heard on Monday, June 26.

Read more: Nicola Bulley police reveal why they’ve returned to river where body was found

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Carena Crawford
Associate Editor (Soaps)

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