The search expert recruited by Nicola Bulley's family to help find her has said he would have used a different strategy if he knew the specifics of the missing mum's "vulnerabilities" earlier.
Peter Faulding has revealed his approach would have differed if the police had told him that Nicola had issues with alcohol related to her difficulties coping with the menopause. Lancashire Police shared the information with the public in a press conference today (Wednesday February 15) and explained why she was being treated as a "high risk" missing person.
Mr Faulding had been critical of the police theory that she had fallen into the River Wyre in Lancashire until now. But after the new information came to light, he acknowledged that the 45-year-old "could have ended up in the sea", reports Wales Online.
UPDATE: Peter Faulding explains exactly what he should have changed in his search for Nicola Bulley
He'd previously stated that Nicola would have been found if she had ended up in the river. And he had said it was "impossible"' that her body made it to the sea, reported Lancashire Live.
Speaking to Mail Online, he'd said: "If she slipped down the bank she wouldn't go far. The rocks would hold her in place and she'd only have been waist deep.
"She could have stood there and asked for help because people do walk by. She'd have needed to be pushed extremely hard from behind to have launched herself into the deep water and experienced police divers have searched that thoroughly."
However, after the press conference the forensic search expert tweeted: "I can confirm that my usually trusted team and I were not passed this crucial information during our search, which would have changed search strategy."
And he He told Jeremy Kyle on TalkTV that: "If she had jumped in, intended to take her own life or walk off, that would change my whole plan. She could have ended up in the sea."
On Wednesday evening Lancashire Police issued a statement that read: “We have described how Nicola had some vulnerabilities at the time she went missing and we just wanted to expand on that a little.
READ MORE: Fury over police statement detailing missing mum Nicola Bulley's alcohol issues
“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.
“This caused some real challenges for Paul and the family. As a result of those issues, a response car staffed by both police and health professionals attended a report of concern for welfare at Nicola’s home address on January 10th.
“No one has been arrested in relation to this incident, but it is being investigated. It is an unusual step for us to take to go into this level of detail about someone’s private life, but we felt it was important to clarify what we meant when we talked about vulnerabilities to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation.”
The force has come under criticism after quickly ruling out foul play when Ms Bulley vanished after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27 in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.
UPDATE: Peter Faulding explains exactly what he should have changed in his search for Nicola Bulley
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