Social media sleuths have “distracted” the investigation into Nicola Bulley, police said on Wednesday as they revealed the mother-of-two had “specific vulnerabilities” at the time she went missing.
Lancashire Police detective superintendent Rebecca Smith said officers have been “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours” relating to the case and that “TikTokers have been playing private detectives” near the scene of the 45-year-old’s disappearance.
Ms Bulley vanished in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre on 27 January while walking her dog, Willow, after dropping her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school.
Ms Smith said her “main working hypothesis” remains that Ms Bulley fell into the River Wyre.
She said Ms Bulley was graded as a “high-risk” missing person 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,” but did not elaborate.
Asked if “social media video-makers and wannabe detectives have been an annoyance or a hindrance in the inquiry”, she said: “Yes, it has significantly distracted the investigation. In 29 years’ police service I’ve never seen anything like it.
“Some of it’s been quite shocking and really hurtful to the family.
“Obviously, we can’t disregard anything and we’ve reviewed everything that’s come in but of course it has distracted us significantly.”
Ms Smith also addressed what she called “persistent myths” about the case.
“The derelict house which is across the other side of the river has been searched three times, with the permission of the owner, and Nicola is not in there,” she said.
“The red van… we’re really grateful to members of the public for ringing in to the inquiry, we wouldn’t have got this far without everyone’s help.
“But it’s also really obvious that we are being inundated with false information, accusations and rumours, which is distracting us from our work.”
She said a red van reported in the area on the morning of Ms Bulley’s disappearance is not being treated as suspicious, and that a glove found near to where she disappeared does not belong to her.
“In terms of the glove that has been recovered, you’ll no doubt be aware that TikTokers have been playing their own private detectives and have been in the area,” she said.
“A glove has been recovered that is not believed to be relevant to the investigation. It is not Nicola’s but we have got that in our possession.”
It comes after Wyre Council removed councillors’ contact details from its website due to “inappropriate emails and phone calls” about Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
Reporting by Press Association.
