Death of Nicola Bulley

On 27 January 2023, Nicola Bulley, a 45-year-old mortgage adviser, disappeared while walking her dog along the River Wyre in the village of St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, England. After dropping her children at school, she walked along the river, joined a work Microsoft Teams call at 09:01 with her camera and microphone off, and was last seen at approximately 09:10 walking with her dog off its lead. Her phone was later found still connected to the call on a riverside bench, and her dog was found nearby showing no signs of having entered the water.

Lancashire Constabulary stated there was no evidence of suspicious activity or third-party involvement, and its working hypothesis was that Bulley had fallen into the river. An extensive search involving police divers, a helicopter, sniffer dogs, aerial drones, HM Coastguard, mountain rescue and fire crews found no body over several weeks. The search initially focused on tracing a woman in a red coat seen on CCTV, later identified and confirmed not to have seen Bulley; a second woman seen pushing a pram was also traced and came forward. An independent search team led by Peter Faulding used side-scan sonar but did not locate her in the area police believed she may have entered the water.

Police faced criticism for disclosing private details of Bulley's health, including issues with alcohol and treatment for perimenopause, and for police contact with the family on 10 January regarding a "concern for welfare." At a 15 February press conference, a Lancashire Constabulary detective superintendent criticised members of the public, including social media users, for travelling to the area and "playing private detectives," saying this had hindered the investigation and affected the family. The force also introduced a dispersal order after disruptive behaviour by online video-makers.

On 19 February 2023, a couple walking their dog found a body in the river about one mile downstream from St Michael's on Wyre. Police confirmed on 20 February that the body was Bulley's, identified via dental records. An inquest opened on 22 February at Preston coroner's court before senior coroner James Adeley. It concluded on 26 June 2023, with phone and Fitbit data indicating she entered the water at 09:22; the cause of death was ruled accidental drowning, with no evidence she had been harmed before entering the water.

Following the case, reviews were conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (finding no misconduct but identifying areas for improvement), the Information Commissioner's Office (which took no enforcement action), and an independent review commissioned via the Police and Crime Commissioner, published in November 2023, which criticised the force's handling of health disclosures and media communication. Politicians including the Home Secretary, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition raised concerns about the disclosure of Bulley's health information. Media conduct by some outlets was also criticised by the family and by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.