The head of the police force that bungled the case to find missing mother Nicola Bulley has announced his retirement, weeks after it was savaged by a review.
Chris Rowley, Chief Constable of Lancashire Police, said he would be stepping down for the top job at the end of March after a 31-year career.
His ‘difficult’ decision comes after Lancashire was blasted for the handling of the investigation into Ms Bulley’s disappearance last year.
The 45-year-old drowned in the the River Wyre while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre, on January 27. Her body was found three weeks later, on February 19 after a huge search effort.
Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire ruled her death was accidental and that she did not have ‘any desire’ to take her own life.
Mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, 45, was last seen on the morning of Friday January 27 when she was spotted walking her dog
Chris Rowley, Chief Constable of Lancashire Police, said he would be stepping down at the end of March after a 31-year career.
In a statement today, Chief Constable Rowley said: ‘Becoming the Chief Constable of Lancashire was the pinnacle of my career and an absolute honour.
‘Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to work with outstanding police officers, police staff, partners and communities.
‘The decision to retire has been difficult, but I feel now is the right time to hand the force over to the next person who will no doubt work tirelessly with the Police and Crime Commissioner to continue to reduce crime and make Lancashire a safe place to live, work and visit.’
But his move comes six weeks after a damning report said Lancashire Police was wrong to reveal Nicola’s ‘highly sensitive’ personal information.
The review, led by the College of Policing, found the force displayed ‘insufficient focus’ and errors of judgement.
Lancashire Police faced a storm of criticism after revealing in February that the missing mother-of-two had been experiencing ‘significant issues with alcohol’ brought on by her struggle with the menopause.
The report revealed Ms Bulley’s family had asked for the reference to menopause to be made public after officers advised them it was a necessary step to clamp down on misinformed speculation.
However, it concludes that the shock revelation – made as the baffling case made global headlines and sparked a string of conspiracy theories – was ‘avoidable and unnecessary’.
The report slammed police for the handling of elements of Ms Bulley’s disappearance (she is pictured with her partner, Paul Ansell)
A search of the River Wyre on February 6 shortly after Ms Bulley disappeared during a dog walk
The report also criticised police for failing to cordon off the riverside spot where Ms Bulley was last seen. And it concludes that a failure to declare a ‘critical incident’ in the early days meant specialist family liaison officers were not deployed until a week after Ms Bulley went missing.
Reacting to the report, Caroline Nokes – a senior Tory MP who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee – accused the force of ‘victim blaming and shaming’ and said: ‘It’s such terrible double standards and it’s driven by ingrained culture – it has to change.’
Chief Constable Rowley’s retirement follows the sudden death of the Lancashire’s Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson.
At the time Chief Constable Rowley said: ‘This is incredibly sad and tragic news. My thoughts and prayers are with all of Pete’s family and friends at this difficult time.
‘Pete’s death will come as a shock to the entire force and the wider police family across the country.
‘He was an outstanding officer who served the communities of Lancashire with pride.
‘He was also highly respected and admired by all who knew him and worked with him.’
Chief Constable Rowley’s retirement follows the sudden death of the Lancashire’s Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson (pictured)
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden thanked Mr Rowley for his work, and added: ‘He has driven forward the Fighting Crime Plan I launched in 2021, with determination, vigour and professionalism.
‘Through his focus on fighting crime and protecting people, improving the service the public receive, working across the criminal justice sector to improve prosecution rates and ensuring local community policing is rebuilt and more visible – crime has significantly fallen in our County and Lancashire is a safer place thanks to Chris’ leadership.’
Mr Snowden continued: ‘As Chief Constable, Chris has put in place the building blocks that myself and the public want to see – to ensure Lancashire is a Force that relentlessly pursues criminals, has an increasingly visible presence in our neighbourhoods, and has high standards of professionalism.’
An advert for the vacant police chief role will be released on Friday, Commission Snowden said.
