The body was discovered around a mile from where Ms Bulley was last seen walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school. Specialist divers had conducted detailed searches of the River Wyre but found no trace of her.
But Peter Bleksley, a former senior detective at the Metropolitan Police, has been left wondering how all the experts brought into assist with the search have been unable to find Ms Bulley.
During an interview on BBC News, he was asked by the presenter: “I’d like to go back to where the police attended, where they were called, where Nicola went missing.
“As many people have been saying, it’s around a mile, from what we are being told. Many people are saying: ‘How could you get it so wrong?'”
Mr Bleksley replied: “Let’s remember, Lancashire Police were very swift to tell us in press conferences how they had specialists in their field, the best there was to have in terms of tidal flows, rivers and all of this, and that they had called in the National Crime Agency to assist them in a tactical and strategic way.
“So Lancashire Police did reach out and there were many an expert who gave their advice, perhaps maybe even gave some form of direction.
“Expert divers, expert people in search and rescue, and yet they didn’t find Nicola’s body.
“It’s only proper that these experts perhaps have a rethink on some of their thinking.
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“If not, then I’m pretty sure they will be pretty swift whenever they can to explain to us there might have always been unexplained elements in tidal rivers.”
The comments from the former senior detective came after Lancashire Constabulary said body has been found in the River Wyre. This is near where mother-of-two Ms Bulley went missing on January 27.
A statement said: “This morning, Sunday, 19 February, you may be aware of police activity around the river near to St Michaels. We want to provide you with an update on that activity.
“We were called today at 11:36am to reports of a body in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road.
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“An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body,” a statement said.
“No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time.
“Procedures to identify the body are ongoing. We are currently treating the death as unexplained.
“Nicola’s family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected.”
Earlier today, local police had cordoned off roads around a mile from where Ms Bulley was last seen.
A police helicopter and drone were seen flying overhead, with divers also searching the River Wyre.
Soon after, a Crime Scene Investigators van arrived on the scene and forensics tent was erected.
