A body was recovered from the River Wyre in Lancashire on Sunday, February 19, during the search for missing Nicola Bulley. A former murder detective has explained that, while "we don't know all the facts", there seem to be only "two possibilities" as to why a body has only just been found.
As reported by Birmingham Live, the ex-detective gave his opinion on the news. Stressing that "we don't know all the facts", he told The Times in an interview: "That means really only two other possibilities - the body was weighed down or there were failures in the search."
He continued: "It's important to emphasise we don't know all the facts. However, it does seem pretty extraordinary given the level of searches in that area." He added: "The police had underwater drones and the private company had 3D scanners for that reason so it seems unlikely."
READ MORE: Witness' first words after body found in Nicola Bulley search
The discovery of a body was made around a mile from where the 45-year-old mother-of-two was last seen walking her dog in St Michael's on Wyre. It was reported that she had dropped her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27.
It is understood that formal identification could take some time so there is no confirmation that this is Nicola. The Mirror reported that it was passers-by who alerted police to a body in the River Wyre, telling police "there is definitely a body down there".
Hamish Brown, a retired Scotland Yard detective inspector, told GB News: "The identification process isn't pleasant for anyone. I'm afraid it's just another line of unpleasant torture for the family, but something nevertheless that must be done."
Mr Brown's comments come after Lancashire Police said in a statement on Sunday that: "An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body."
The statement continued: "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."
The force added: "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."
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