Tom Swarbrick slams Lancashire Police for claiming Nicola Bulley is 'high-risk' without giving further details
15 February 2023, 19:41 | Updated: 15 February 2023, 19:45
Tom Swarbrick criticises Lancashire Police
Tom Swarbrick criticises Lancashire Police's decision to claim the missing mum as "high-risk" without giving specific details earlier today.
Following on from the most recent statement from Lancashire Police regarding the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, Tom Swarbrick criticised the force's initial decision to describe Ms Bulley as a "high-risk" missing person with "specific vulnerabilities".
Tom prefaced his rant: "We wish Lancashire Police the very, very best in their efforts to find Nicola Bulley, everybody does. It is absolutely horrific for this family that this tortuous process is going on for them... so of course everybody wants Lancashire Police to do everything they can and support them in every possible way to find Nicola Bulley."
He then went on to say: "The way in which [Lancashire Police] have gone about what they've done today is horrendous. They did a 'nudge-nudge, wink-wink' today at a press conference about Nicole Bulley being 'high-risk' due to a 'number of specific vulnerabilities'.
"I'm sorry but you don't say that without then giving full details about what it is you're saying. Otherwise you are doing a 'nudge-nudge, wink-wink' about a missing person that you're investigating, whose family are just desperate to have home."
In the most recent statement, a spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: "Nicola’s family continue to be our absolute focus and our thoughts remain with them.
"We have specially trained officers who continue to support them and update them daily. We have described how Nicola had some vulnerabilities at the time she went missing and we just wanted to expand on that a little.
"Sadly, it is clear from speaking to Paul and the family that Nicola had in the past suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause and that these struggles had resurfaced over recent months."
Private investigator on Nicola Bulley case, says family 'confirmed she had no underlying issues'
Tom slammed the police force: "What on earth did they think they were doing? Going out to international press saying that there were a number of specific vulnerabilities without either feeling that they needed to give full detail to stop people going 'what are you on about'? Or just don't say it at all if you're not willing, or able, to go into full details."
This comes after diving specialist Peter Faulding told LBC Nicola Bulley's family confirmed to him that she had no underlying issues, despite today's admission by police.
"I've spoken to the family in depth and the family confirmed to me that there were no underlying issues with Nicola. This is from her sister, this is from Emma, this is from Paul [Nicola's Partner]," Mr Faulding told Tom.
