Nicola Bulley 45y Old mum of 2 little girls missing from River Wyre area since last Friday morning at 9:15am walking her dog, Willow.

Anniebach, what terrible pain you must have all suffered. Just can't find the words.

Annie x

Why are people so heartless. Sending you Anniebach.

Anniebach 💐

Oh, Annie. What terrible comments you’ve had to endure. I know what happened to your dear daughter but I’m so sorry that on top of everything you had to read stuff like that. People can be dreadfully cruel. 💐

Why ignore the fact the family wanted the health problem made public because someone unnamed was going to.

My daughter jumped from a bridge into the river, Facebook-

‘expect she was pissed’, ‘she was a nutter’ ‘bitch leaving her children’.

Fact - she suffered with bipolar, a serious mental illness which hit her when she was about 40, she took her life .

Some expert has now said ‘the police have destroyed Nicola’s
reputation’.

18 pages of speculation and armchair detectives right here Sparklefizz

Sparklefizz

The police may not have done a sterling job - we really don't know for sure - but the main problem has been THE PUBLIC - interfering, speculating, demanding to know everything, treating the tragedy like some Netflix series, taking selfies on the riverbank, acting like Poirot, hassling the family and trolling. It's been awful to watch.

The police didn't treat this as a crime scene as it was not considered to be one, but perhaps they should have taped off the area anyway (there are different types of tape for different scenarios) and not allowed the public to tramp all over the area.

Much speculation could have been avoided and it could have been handled much better (my opinion only). The police knew about the previous problems but they did not need to be divulged unless the family did so.

On the interview given by a Nicola's partner he expressed gratitude to the public and how they're helping by keeping it alive.

The police may not have done a sterling job - we really don't know for sure - but the main problem has been THE PUBLIC - interfering, speculating, demanding to know everything, treating the tragedy like some Netflix series, taking selfies on the riverbank, acting like Poirot, hassling the family and trolling. It's been awful to watch.

I agree Maddy. They are using these delicate matters to excuse themselves.
It seems that the police have really been found wanting.
They’re in a hole but keep on digging

In my opinion these details should never have been made public. The police have released them in order to explain why their search was focused mainly on the river.

So a difference choice of words, someone was going public with the fact she had problems with alcohol, what would they have said ?

Leaving aside the relevance of the level of detail about Nicola's medical condition, I would like to know where the information came from.

I can't remember the exact phrase, but it was something like 'has serious issues with alcohol as a result of the menopause'. A GP wouldn't use that sort of language (would they?) and should not (IMO) break confidence by disclosing her condition like that*. If the information came from a lay person, even her husband, they are not in a position to diagnose.

*By all means tell the police in order to help the investigation, but it should have been on the understanding that confidence would be respected.

Increase speculation I’m sure pressured the police into releasing details of a previous incident they were called to where Nicola was having some kind of crisis.
At that stage it calmed down and she was not seen as a danger to herself or others but was noted as “vulnerable”, which led to an immediate high profile police search. Her husband was obviously happy that her mental state was stable because she took the children to school on her own.

The police have no evidence of any third party involved, so unless someone is actively hiding Nicola, the river is the only other alternative. With so much publicity it’s very unlikely she has run away on her own, she would be recognized.

As Anniebach said, the story of the release and the family choice to do so and why
www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-02-16/nicola-bulley-personal-details-released-after-threats-to-sell-stories

Thank you for your sympathy and thoughtfulness relating to aspects of drowning on this thread.

Anniebach Is correct. The family seem to have agreed to the background being made known because of reports some were approaching newspapers with information

JaneJudge

Doodledog

I still don't see why the public needed to be told, though. Obviously the police and official searchers might need to be aware that she might be drunk, or seek out alcohol, but how does the public knowing make it more likely that she is found?

I know, I agree too

I think because many people (and I include myself in this) would have looked at the circumstances of her disappearance and surmised that the only possible thing that could have happened was that she fell into the river. My main reason for thinking this is that I couldn’t believe that she would have left her dog. But realising that she might not have been thinking straight at the time means that she could have wandered off in a distressed state which means that people needed to think and think again if they might have seen anything that might show that she moved away from the area via the one part that wasn’t covered by cctv.

Lancashire Police have reported themselves to the police watchdog over contact they had with Nicola prior to her disappearance. Not sure this is the right time. All efforts should be on finding Nicola. It is still a very odd case.

Doodledog

I still don't see why the public needed to be told, though. Obviously the police and official searchers might need to be aware that she might be drunk, or seek out alcohol, but how does the public knowing make it more likely that she is found?

I know, I agree too

It is reported that the family learned someone was going to share the info and not in a caring way.

I still don't see why the public needed to be told, though. Obviously the police and official searchers might need to be aware that she might be drunk, or seek out alcohol, but how does the public knowing make it more likely that she is found?

maddyone oh, yes, I agree, but to have had fuller information at the beginning of it all and honesty would have helped.
After all, her vulnerability was important info even if it proves to be other than now suspected - ie someone exploiting her, or a decision to "disappear".

Baggs

If we regarded having a drink problem as having an illness in the same way as we regard, say, having a cold or having cancer, I think its being known would be less of an issue.

We seem to be slow at accepting illness that affects us mentally or emotionally is still illness and that it doesn't make us blameworthy. With all the talk there is nowadays of mental health, you'd think we'd be more accepting and non-judgmental.

You'd think we would yes, but I'm sure that is was initial "shame" that stopped it coming out.

I've some sympathy for the police on this - can you imagine, they might wanted to have said she was vulnerable initially in order to best help in every which way, but the family insisted nothing should be said, and so on and so on.....