Suella Braverman expresses concerns over police disclosure of Nicola Bulley’s struggles

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has expressed concerns with police after the revealed personal information about missing mother Nicola Bulley.

Bulley, 45, disappeared on 27 January during a riverside dog walk in St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire. 

Cops have been searching for Nicola in the water, believing the missing mum-of-two most likely fell into the water. 

But they have come under fire for still not having found her, with many speculating the police’s theory is wrong. It was the speculation that led the police to hold a press conference, in which they gave more details into the investigation. 

Police revealed Nicola Bulley’s struggles with alcohol and the menopause. A source close to Braverman said she had “asked for an explanation.” 

The source said she had received a response on Thursday but was not satisfied with the force’s justification for releasing such personal details about Nicola. 

Nicola Bulley missing person investigation 

Police revelaed in a statement on Wednesday, following a press conference in which they said Nicola had ‘vulnerabilities’, that she had suffered with “some significant issues with alcohol” and “ongoing struggles with the menopause”.

The comments were immediately met with backlash, and some accused the cops of breaching her privacy. 

Nicola’s family released a statement via the police, in which they elaborated on her health, saying she had suffered significant side effects due to the perimenopause, including “brain fog” and “restless sleep”.

They also called for speculation into her private life to come to an end and urged the public to focus on finding her. 

Addressing Nicola directly, they added: “Nikki, we hope you are reading this and know that we love you so much and your girls want a cuddle. We all need you home.

“Don’t be scared, we all love you so very much.”

‘Cops subject to heavy justified criticism’ 

Dame Vera Baird, the former victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, told BBC Radio 4’s Today that the force had been subject to “heavy, and in my view, totally justified criticism”.

“If it was relevant, it needed to be in a public domain at the start, and it wasn’t,” she said.

“I’m afraid this is the biggest error that I have seen for quite a long time.

“It’s going to undermine trust in the police yet further.”

She said she did not believe similar comments would have been shared if Ms Bulley had been a man.

“Would we have had police officers saying… he’s been unfortunately tied down with alcohol because he’s been suffering from erectile dysfunction for the last few weeks? I think not.

“No, it is a dreadful error to put this in the public domain for absolutely nothing and I’m afraid I think it’s as sexist as it comes.”