Nicola Bulley: Lancashire Police criticised for disclosing missing mum’s alcohol issues and struggles with the menopause

Senior Investigating Officer Rebecca Smith, speaking at a televised press conference on Wednesday, revealed that Nicola was "vulnerable" and classed as a "high-risk" missing person immediately after her partner Paul Ansell reported her disappearance.

Later that day, Lancashire Police revealed the mum-of-two had “in the past suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause”.

You can read the full statement here.

The force explained it had taken the ‘unusual step’ of disclosing such personal information in a bid to “avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation” on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

It added that “these struggles had resurfaced over recent months” and a response car staffed by both police and health professionals attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home on January 10.

But the disclosure has proven controversial. It has since been criticised by a number of MPs and campaign groups who claim it’s “a serious invasion of her privacy”.

Critics have also questioned how the information being made public will benefit the investigation which has now entered its 21st day today (Thursday, February 16).

What are people saying?

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she believed the actions of Lancashire Police were “very unusual”.

Ms Cooper refrained from criticising the force, but said she would speak to Lancashire Police in a bid to get answers about the decision to release the information to the public.

She told Sky News: “I do have a lot of questions and concerns about that. I would want to speak directly to Lancashire Police about their reasons for doing so before commenting further, because I know there can be complicated reasons for police decisions.

“It’s very unusual and it does raise some quite significant concerns.”

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Twitter: "I am deeply uncomfortable with the police releasing Nicola Bulley's so-called 'vulnerabilities' on menopause and alcohol.

"I struggle to ascertain how this will assist police in their search & investigations. I do see how it would assist those wishing to victim-blame or diminish."

Silkie Carlo, director of privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, tweeted: "Lancashire Police broadcasting missing Nicola Bulley's health issues and hormone status to the world is a serious invasion of her privacy with no obvious benefits for the investigation.

"A shocking decision when the police's treatment of women is rightly in the spotlight.

"It's not at all clear how the police are justifying this disclosure, which seems to be aimed at shoring up public support for Lancashire Police's own forgone conclusions.

"The ramifications of this invasion of medical privacy could be really serious, including for Nicola's safety."

Meanwhile, Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow, said: "The decision to disclose this level of detail on a missing person's private life, with no evidence that this is assisting in finding her, is deeply troubling.

"The police need to be much clearer as to why any of this helps find Nicola Bulley or support this investigation."

Nicola vanished after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27 in the village of St Michael's on Wyre.

She was last seen at 9.10am taking her usual route with her Springer Spaniel Willow, alongside the River Wyre.

Her phone, still connected to a work call for her job as a mortgage adviser, was found just over 20 minutes later on a bench overlooking the riverbank, with her dog running loose.

Since she vanished, huge public and media interest has resulted in what police described as "false information, accusations and rumours" and an "unprecedented" search of both the River Wyre, downstream to Morecambe Bay and miles of neighbouring farmland.

On Wednesday, Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith, the lead investigator for Lancashire Police in the case, told reporters at a packed press conference at force HQ: "As soon as she was reported missing, following the information that was provided to the police by her partner Paul, and based on a number of specific vulnerabilities that we were made aware of, Nicola was graded as high-risk."

A later statement on the force website said: "Sadly, it is clear from speaking to Paul and the family that Nicola had in the past suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause and that these struggles had resurfaced over recent months.

"This caused some real challenges for Paul and the family.

"As a result of those issues, a response car staffed by both police and health professionals attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola's home address on January 10.

"No-one has been arrested in relation to this incident, but it is being investigated.

"It is an unusual step for us to take to go into this level of detail about someone's private life, but we felt it was important to clarify what we meant when we talked about vulnerabilities to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation."

Lancashire Police were approached for comment.