The police watchdog has confirmed it is launching an investigation into contact between Nicola Bulley and Lancashire Police days before she went missing.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct says it is probing a visit made by an officer to the family home as part of a welfare check on January 10 – 17 days before the mother’s disappearance.
A spokesperson said: ‘Following a referral by Lancashire Constabulary on Thursday, we have started an independent investigation regarding contact the force had with Nicola Bulley on January 10, 2023.
‘We were notified by the force that an officer attended the family home on that date as part of a welfare check. Our thoughts are with Ms Bulley’s family and friends, and all of those affected by her death. Our investigation is in its very early stages.’
It comes after the opening of an inquest into Ms Bulley’s death today heard she was identified by dental records.
Mother of two Nicola Bulley (pictured) was discovered on Sunday morning in the River Wyre in Lancashire, more than three weeks after she disappeared
Ms Bulley, 45, and her partner Paul Ansell. An inquest was opened into her death at Lancashire Coroner’s Court today
The mother of two, 45, was found by members of the public in the reeds of the River Wyre in Lancashire on Sunday – a mile from the bench where her mobile phone had been recovered 23 days earlier.
The opening of an inquest into her death at Lancashire Coroner’s Court today heard that she was identified by dental records.
No family members were present and no cause of death was provided during the short four-minute hearing, with the case adjourned until June later this year.
Senior coroner Dr James Adeley said he had contacted consultant maxillofacial surgeon Ian Edwards to ask him to compare dental records obtained by police from the Great Eccleston dental surgery.
He told the court: ‘I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities, and more, that positive identification has been made.’
Dr Adeley added: ‘The family have been informed of the date, time and place of the opening of the inquest and have chosen not to attend for reasons I can quite understand.’
He said the remaining evidence gathered by police and the post-mortem examination required ‘further evaluation’, adding that the full inquest was likely to be held in June – once availability of a Home Office pathologist had been checked.
The coroner continued: ‘This will allow time to collate the facts of the case and allow the experts involved to finalise the findings from investigations that still need to be undertaken.’
A man views floral tributes and messages to Ms Bulley on a footbridge over the River Wyre
A full inquest into the death of Ms Bulley, pictured with her partner Mr Ansell, is likely to be held in June
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Ms Bulley’s sister Louise Cunningham shared this yellow heart today
Louise, pictured left with her late sister, had been central to the social media campaign to find her missing sibling
It comes after Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell, 44, and relatives said police had confirmed their ‘worst fears’ when the body was formally identified on Monday.
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 out of the water, with branches and undergrowth partially submerged.
It is understood that a man and a woman discovered the body and called police at around 11.35am on Sunday.
Meanwhile, TikTok has vowed to take action against social media sleuths who disrupted the search and posted distressing conspiracy theories online.
TikTok has been awash with videos speculating about her disappearance – including speculation, rumours and conspiracy theories.
It said in a statement: ‘Our thoughts are with Ms Bulley’s family and friends at this difficult time. We have mobilised resources to monitor the evolving conversation about this case.
‘We are taking action against violations of our community guidelines, including removing content and accounts, and limiting the reach of some content by making it ineligible for recommendation.’
Flowers are left at the place where the phone of Mr Bulley was found close to the River Wyre last month
Floral tributes and messages left at the village bridge over the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire
Police have also come under fire for their handling of the investigation, with calls for an independent inquiry intensifying yesterday. Former home secretary Priti Patel has joined the growing chorus of criticism against the force.
Last week, Lancashire Police called out social media sleuths at a press conference in which they revealed more information about the day Ms Bulley disappeared.
Police then revealed she was classed as a ‘high risk’ missing person from the start of the investigation, due to having ‘specific vulnerabilities’ which included ‘significant issues’ with alcohol brought on by ongoing struggles with the menopause.
Investigators said it had taken the ‘unusual step’ to disclose this level of detail as it was ‘important to clarify what we meant when we talked about vulnerabilities to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation’.
But the disclosure about her personal struggles sparked an outcry of public anger and Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she was ‘not satisified’ with the police’s explanation of why they released private details about the mother-of-two.
