Nicola Bulley’s two heartbroken daughters will ‘get the support they need from the people that love us the most’, mother’s family say as police confirm ID of body in river
- Nicola Bulley’s daughters will be supported by those who love them most
- Police announced this afternoon that the body found in the water was Nicola’s
- Read more: Police confirm body found in river is missing Nicola Bulley
Nicola Bulley’s family have released an emotional statement as police confirm that they have found her body.
In a statement made through the police force, the family said her two heartbroken little girls would get the support they needed form ‘the people that love us the most’.
They paid tribute to the 45-year-old mortgage adviser and said: ‘We love you, always have and always will.’
The body of the mother-of-two was discovered on Sunday morning in the River Wyre in Lancashire by walkers, more than three weeks after she disappeared.
She had been walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27, when she vanished without a trace.
Her family paid tribute to the 45-year-old mortgage adviser and said: ‘We love you, always have and always will’
At a press conference on Monday, Lancashire police confirmed that the body found in the river on Sunday was that of Nicola Bulley.
The force’s head of crime Detective Chief Superintendent Pauline Stables read a heartbreaking statement from Ms Bulley’s family, where they said: ‘We love you, always have and always will.’
The statement read: ‘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.’
Paying further tribute to Ms Bulley at the end of their statement, the family added: ‘To those who genuinely helped and supported us, privately, we thank you.
‘The community support in St Michael’s, friends, neighbours and strangers has been nothing short of comforting and heart-warming. Friends you know who you are. Thank you.
‘Our hearts truly break for others who have missing loved ones. Keep that hope alive.
‘Finally, Nikki, you are no longer a missing person, you have been found, we can let you rest now.
‘We love you, always have and always will, we’ll take it from here.’
The family also questioned the role of the press during the investigation and accused the media of ‘misquoting and vilifying’ Ms Bulley’s partner, relatives and friends.
‘It saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them (Ms Bulley’s children) that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family,’ the statement said.
Nicola Bulley was ‘the centre of our world’, the family said in a statement read out by Lancashire Police at a press conference on Monday
The statement from the family said it saddened them that they would one day have to explain to Ms Bulley’s children that their father Paul Ansell (left) had been accused of vicious crimes
The force did not address at the press conference the widespread criticism it had received for releasing some aspects of Ms Bulley’s private life into the public domain
‘This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family.
‘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.’
The force did not address at the press conference the widespread criticism it had received for releasing some aspects of Ms Bulley’s private life into the public domain.
Police also did not disclose why it had taken 23 days to find her body in the river.
READ MORE: Police confirm body found in river is missing Nicola Bulley who vanished 24 days ago while walking her dog
Speaking at the force’s HQ, Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson did confirm the body had been identified as Ms Bulley – and described the investigation as ‘hugely complex and highly emotional’.
He did not take questions from the media present.
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 outside the water, with branches and undergrowth partially submerged.
It is understood that a man and a woman discovered the body and called police – who said they were called to the River Wyre close to Rawcliffe Road at around 11.35am on Sunday.
Police had erected a tent and cordoned off the lane while police divers were called in, but the road was reopened around three hours later once the body was recovered.
In his statement confirming Ms Bulley’s body had been identified, ACC Lawson said: ‘We recognise the huge impact that Nicola’s disappearance has had on her family and friends, but also on the people of St Michael’s.
‘We would like to thank all of those who have helped during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation.
‘Today’s development is not the outcome any of us would have wanted, but we hope that it can at least start to provide some answers for Nicola’s loved ones, who remain foremost in our thoughts.
‘The case is now being handled by HM Coroner.’
The force came under fire after making Ms Bulley’s struggles with alcohol and perimenopause public three weeks after she vanished.
The police force came under fire after making Ms Bulley’s struggles with alcohol and perimenopause public (pictured on February 6)
In a press conference on Wednesday, they revealed she was classed as a ‘high-risk’ missing person immediately after Mr Ansell reported her disappearance, ‘based on a number of specific vulnerabilities’.
They later added in a statement that Ms Bulley, from Inskip in Lancashire, had stopped taking her HRT medication.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was ‘not satisfied’ with the reasoning behind the decision to release the private details about Ms Bulley.
A public backlash and interventions from the Government and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper followed, with Lancashire Constabulary confirming a date had been set for an internal review into the investigation.
Timeline: Disappearance of Nicola Bulley
January 27
At 8.26am Ms Bulley left her home with her two daughters, aged six and nine, dropping them off at school.
She then took her spaniel, Willow, for a walk along the path by the River Wyre at 8.43am, heading towards a gate and bench in the lower field.
She was seen by a dog walker who knew her at around 8.50am, and their pets interacted briefly before they parted ways, according to the force.
At 8.53am, Ms Bulley sent an email to her boss, followed by a message to her friends six minutes later, before logging on to a Microsoft Teams call at 9.01am.
She was seen by a second witness at 9.10am, the last known sighting.
Her phone was back in the area of the bench at 9.20am before the Teams call ended ten minutes later, with her mobile remaining logged on after the call.
At 10.50am, Ms Bulley’s family and the school attended by her children were told about her disappearance.
Lancashire Constabulary launched an investigation into Ms Bulley’s whereabouts on the same day and appealed for witnesses to contact them.
January 28
Lancashire Constabulary deployed drones, helicopters and police search dogs as part of the major missing person operation.
They were assisted by the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, as well as the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team and the North West underwater search team.
January 29
Local residents held a meeting at the village hall to organise a search for Ms Bulley at 10.30am on Sunday, according to reports from The Mirror, and around 100 people joined in.
Police urged volunteers to exercise caution, describing the river and its banks as ‘extremely dangerous’ and saying that activity in these areas presented ‘a genuine risk to the public’.
January 30
Superintendent Sally Riley from Lancashire Constabulary said police were ‘keeping a really open mind about what could have happened’, and that they were not treating Ms Bulley’s disappearance as suspicious.
January 31
Lancashire Constabulary spoke with a potential witness, a man who had been walking a small white fluffy dog near the River Wyre at the time of Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
Her family released a statement saying they had been ‘overwhelmed by the support’ in their community, and that her daughters were ‘desperate to have their mummy back home safe’.
February 2
Lancashire Constabulary spoke with a second witness who they had identified with the help of the public using CCTV but they told police they did not have any further information to aid their inquiry.
Officers from the North West Police Underwater and Marine Support Unit searched the area close to where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was found, while police divers scoured the River Wyre. Meanwhile, Ms Bulley’s family appealed to the public for help tracing her.
February 3
Lancashire Police said it was working on the hypothesis that Ms Bulley may have fallen into the River Wyre.
Ms Riley urged against speculation, but said it was ‘possible’ that an ‘issue’ with Ms Bulley’s dog may have led her to the water’s edge.
February 4
Lancashire Police announced it wanted to trace a ‘key witness’ who was seen pushing a pram in the area near where Ms Bulley went missing on the morning of her disappearance.
February 5
The woman described as a ‘key witness’ by police came forward. The force insisted she was ‘very much being treated as a witness’ as it warned against ‘totally unacceptable’ speculation and abuse on social media.
Peter Faulding, leader of underwater search experts Specialist Group International (SGI), say his team will begin searching the river after being called in by Ms Bulley’s family.
February 6
Ms Bulley’s friends said they hoped the help of a specialist underwater rescue team would give the family answers.
Meanwhile, Ms Bulley’s partner Mr Ansell, in a statement released through Lancashire Police, said: ‘It’s been ten days now since Nicola went missing and I have two little girls who miss their mummy desperately and who need her back.
‘This has been such a tough time for the girls especially but also for me and all of Nicola’s family and friends, as well as the wider community and I want to thank them for their love and support.’
February 10
Police urged people to refrain from indulging in commentary and conspiracy theories about Ms Bulley’s disappearance as speculation increases online.
February 15
Police held a press conference over the case and say the mother-of-two was classed as a ‘high-risk’ missing person immediately after she was reported missing due to ‘vulnerabilities.’
They later disclosed Ms Bulley’s struggles with alcohol and perimenopause.
February 16
In a statement released through Lancashire Police, Ms Bulley’s family said the focus had become ‘distracted from finding Nikki, and more about speculation and rumours into her private life’ and called for it to end.
Lancashire Police referred itself to the police watchdog over contact the force had with Ms Bulley prior to her disappearance.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman demanded an ‘explanation’ for the disclosure of Ms Bulley’s private information by the force.
February 17
Lancashire Police announced it was conducting an internal review into the handling of Ms Bulley’s disappearance and the Information Commissioner said he would ask the force questions about the disclosure.
February 18
Ms Braverman met with police leaders to discuss the handling of the investigation after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also expressed ‘concerns’ about the revelation.
February 19
Appearing on the morning broadcast round, Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt described the police disclosure as ‘shocking’ while shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, who also wrote to the force over its handling of the case, repeated her concerns about the ‘unusual’ level of private information made public about Ms Bulley.
A new search effort was launched less than a mile from where Ms Bulley vanished.
Later on Sunday, Lancashire Police announced they had found a body in the River Wyre.
February 20
Police confirm that the body found in the River Wyre is that of Nicola Bulley at a press conference.
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