Nicola Bulley cops made two key mistakes in tragic hunt for missing mum
The Nicola Bulley investigation highlighted the need for police to better utilise the press and understand the growing power of social media going forward, according to an expert.
The mum-of-two, 45, disappeared while on a dog walk along the River Wyre in St Michael's, Lancashire, on January 27 last year. This led to a major search, including regular public appeals, before her body was found three weeks later on February 19. At an inquest last June, her cause of death was ruled a tragic accident after she fell into cold water and drowned, adding that there was no suggestion of suicide.
In November, the College of Policing released a 143-page report reviewing the Lancashire Police investigation, concluded its handling - including that of the media and information release - led to a "breakdown of public confidence" in the force. It highlighted the "avoidable and unnecessary" publicising of personal details about Ms Bulley, including her struggles with menopause and alcohol. Weeks after the report's release, Chief constable Chris Rowley resigned and is due to step down at the end of March after a 31-year career.
Security and intelligence expert Colonel Philip Ingram told the Mirror the release of such sensitive personal information was "appalling", adding: "That's the bit that sticks out to me in all of it. The data handling over personal information and the understanding of what has got an operational necessity and what doesn’t and the handling of the press are the two big things that come out of it.
Colonel Philip Ingram said aspects of the investigation were 'appalling' (Sunday Mirror)"There was no operational necessity for them to give that level of detail out to the public and all that did was add additional stress to the family. But it also stimulated all of those rubberneckers to want to go and participate and therefore the release of the data was something police need to look at."
Nicola Bulley's children 'cried their eyes out' after being told 'mummy's lost'
He went on to say: "They weren’t proactive, they were reactive, they allowed the press to turn it into a circus and they need to better understand how to use the press. If you control the information sphere in the right way, it can enhance your operation by getting people to look in the right areas, and by getting people not to come and disturb what you’re doing. If you get it wrong, you’ve created a free for all. It was disappointing that they allowed a lot of these things to happen and cause additional distress.”
Colonel Ingram - an ex-British Army intelligence officer who served in the British Army for over 25 years - said from the time the police put out the initial appeal for help, including a photo of Ms Bulley, there was clearly not a sufficient communications strategy in place, with the public and media interest "unprecedented" - and likely not significantly understood beforehand by the police.
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson and Det. Supt. Rebecca Smith during a Nicola Bulley press conference (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)Colonel Ingram said it's "not uncommon" for forces and government departments to behave similarly in such circumstances, with the press needing to be used "as part of their wider information campaign". He continued: "I think given the way we live in an interconnected age and the speed that news has to go out, I think different agencies, government departments, customs, immigration, MOD need to understand how to use the media properly and they don’t."
He continued: "The press cycle needs feeding. The police don’t recognise that, they don’t recognise if you don’t feed the beast it will get something from somewhere and that’s part of a wider understanding. The wider public reaction stimulated by the press in many cases led to the poor decisions the police were making, because they felt they had to do something. But they didn’t know quite what it was they needed to do."
He said the police and military, in particular, are “not natural people in front of cameras or speaking to the press and so what they don’t do is plan”. He said the “attitude” in police communications rooms needs to evolve, which may mean a move away from sometimes what he described as standard ‘PR professionals’ and regular officers from the beat being drafted in behind the scenes.
A major search was launched on the River Wyre (James Maloney/Lancs Live)“In today’s society information drives everything. You need people who understand the whole thing very well, very senior people. I’d argue you need aspiring chief constables to do time working with the press and learn how to properly work in front of the cameras.”
Colonel Ingram said the case also highlighted the power of social media, with the scene and surrounding areas swarming every day with not just accredited journalists but also influencers, many spreading misinformation and giving fuel to conspiracy theories.
“I don’t think the police know that there are ways of monitoring this,” he explained. “Legal software provided by companies out there where you can put a geo-fence around a particular area and identify every social media post that’s coming out from that area. The police don’t have those sorts of tools because they don’t understand the power and how all of this stuff works and this is an area they need to get into and it is an area where people overstep the mark.
Ms Bulley's body was eventually found on February 19 (PA)“It allows them to monitor what’s going on, you can put key hashtags in, so Nicola Bulley, murder scene, all those. And you can monitor any post that comes out. One that I’ve worked with allows you to put a 5km radius around somewhere.
“What this does is allow you to see stuff that’s posted in the geographic area but brought into one programme. What that then allows the police to do is get a flavour of what’s going on, get a flavour of the conspiracy theories going out, get a flavour of who’s on what platform and say ‘oh, we’re seeing a bit of a campaign on TikTok so what we’re going to do is put a police statement out on TikTok with the following hashtags'.
Mum appeared 'completely normal' moments before vanishing while walking dog
“Bang, that will trump anything that’s going out from these people and shut them up. It’s understanding how that information domain works and being proactive. But they’re not, the police will sit there and wait until someone shoves a microphone under a police officer’s nose.”
The report also referred to the force needing to rebuild public confidence. Colonel Ingram said: “I think it’s learning the lessons and getting the information campaign right and it’s not f****** up again, basically. Time is a great healer and is the only thing that will help heal reputational damage, but it takes a long time to recover that.
“It’s layers of trying to improve reputation again and whether you’ll ever be able to improve the family’s view I don’t know. They have to put some effort into that. It’s properly learning the lessons, however, I fear we tend not to learn lessons, we re-identify them on a regular basis.”
A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “Our thoughts are and always will be with Nikki and her family. They have been our priority throughout and continue to be. The impact on them has been unimaginable and no one can begin to understand how difficult it has been for the family to manage the pain, grief and suffering of losing the person they loved most dearly.
“Nikki’s family remained at the heart of everything we did. During the search and investigation, we lived in hope we could find her alive and well, to bring her home safely to her loved ones. Sadly, this outcome was not the one we, or they, hoped for. Evidentially, our enquiries pointed to Nikki having somehow fallen into the river. The investigation team was, sadly, proven right when Nikki was found, with a later inquest confirming her death as one of a tragic accident.
“The impact on the village of St Michael’s was significant, with residents targeted and businesses affected by social media influencers, who, in part, influenced wider media reporting. The work of our local neighbourhood team in engaging with and providing reassurance to the community of St Michael’s, supported and protected residents.
“The College of Policing review, to highlight learning and best practice, was welcomed by the force. The review highlighted the high quality of the response, search and investigation as well as areas of learning which we are already implementing.”
Timeline
- January 10, 2023 - Police attended a concern for welfare report at Nicola Bulley's home
- January 27, 2023 - Ms Bulley vanished while out walking her dog
- January 28, 2023 - Police deployed fleets of drones, helicopters, and search dogs as it launched a major missing persons operation
- January 29, 2023 - Local residents gather in the village hall and devise their own search
- February 15, 2023 - Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith referred Ms Bulley's "specific vulnerabilities" before a press release clarified these related to alcohol and the menopause
- February 19, 2023 - Ms Bulley's body was found in the river by a man and a woman out walking their dog
- June 27, 2023 - Ms Bulley's death was ruled by senior coroner for Lancashire Dr James Adeley a tragic accident after she fell into cold water and drowned
- November 21, 2023 - College of Policing released a report following an investigation into how police handled the case
January 2, 2024 - Chris Rowley, chief constable of Lancashire Police, said he would be stepping down at the end of March after a 31-year career in response to the report
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