Police who shared personal information about Nicola Bulley during the search for the late mother-of-two have been cleared by a watchdog.
Lancashire Constabulary faced investigations by three separate bodies into its handling of the case after coming under heavy criticism.
The force’s conduct was questioned by several high-ranking officers and public officials during the three-week search for the 45-year-old, whose body was pulled from the River Wyre in Lancashire on 19 February, after being last seen alive on 27 January.
Officers revealed on 15 February that Ms Bulley had “alcohol issues” and had been going through menopause, a disclosure that faced public backlash, with claims it was inappropriate to share such private details. The home secretary, among others, called on the force to explain why they had shared the missing woman’s personal information.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), a public body that considers information rights, launched an investigation into the force days later.
Lancashire Constabulary said the ICO concluded no enforcement action was needed, though a separate independent review launched on Tuesday by the College of Policing will also consider the disclosure.
Separately, an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into a Lancashire officer’s contact with Ms Bulley prior to her disappearance found no misconduct but has advised the force on guidance and the officer on body-worn camera protocol.
Police accompanied health workers in a multi-agency vehicle to Ms Bulley’s home on 10 January, little more than a fortnight before she was last seen, on a matter the force said was related to her “alcohol issues”.
The IOPC said it identified “two areas of learning” for the officer relating to when to activate his body-worn video and recording information on police systems.
The force should update its guidance documents for multi-agency vehicles, so officers better understand their role, the IOPC said, adding guidance could be better provided “for officers more widely when dealing with similar situations”.
Sam Mackenzie, assistant chief constable of Lancashire Constabulary, said: “The IOPC investigators focused on the actions of one officer and have now completed their investigation and found no misconduct or wrongdoing.
“Whilst we do have some procedural learning it is important to note that our attendance was in support of an ambulance deployment and that the officer dealt with Nicola with compassion and empathy, putting her care at the forefront of his decision-making on that day.”
The Lancashire police and crime commissioner announced that an independent review of the case by the College of Policing commenced on Tuesday.
Conservative PCC Andrew Snowden said the College of Policing’s review will have three areas of focus – the operational response to the high-risk missing person investigation, press engagement and decision-making surrounding disclosure of sensitive personal information.
The review’s findings and recommendations are set to be made public in autumn.
As the review was called after the discovery of Bulley’s body, Mr Snowden said the public “understandably feel that there remain questions about the handling of elements of the police investigation, how it was communicated and the decision to release personal information”.
The force said it “welcomes the independent review”, adding that it was “keen to take the opportunity to learn”.
