Police are being “inundated with false information, accusations and rumours” about Nicola Bulley’s disappearance which are “distracting” them. Speaking at a press conference at Lancashire Police headquarters on Wednesday, Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith told of “persistent myths” about the case.
Detective Supt, Rebecca Smith, hits out at social media video bloggers coming to the scene, saying it has impacted the investigation. She said she has never seen anything like it in her 29 years experience in policing.
She busted myths that have been circulating around the case thanks to amateur detectives.
She said: “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. The red van, we’re really grateful to members of the public for ringing into 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 reports of a red van in the area on the morning of Ms Bulley’s disappearance is not being treated as suspicious. Police say a glove found near to where Nicola Bulley disappeared does not belong to her.
Speaking at the press conference, senior investigating officer DS Smith said: “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.
“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.”
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Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson says 'speculation and conjecture' has at times distracted and damaged the investigation into finding Nicola Bulley. But he thanks the 'incredible' support from the public and says police will continue to be as transparent as they can be.
Detectives have found no evidence of a “criminal aspect or third party involvement” in Nicola Bulley’s disappearance during extensive inquiries over the 19 days since she vanished, a police chief has said.
Lancashire Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson defended his force’s investigation into the case of the missing mother-of-two at a press conference on Wednesday.
Setting out the details of the probe in more detail than police “normally” would, he said the scale has been “unprecedented”.
Nearly 40 detectives have sifted through hundreds of hours of CCTV, dashcam footage and tip-offs from the public.
And Mr Lawson said: “There is no evidence to indicate a criminal aspect or third party involvement in Nicola’s disappearance.”
