Police diver teams supported by drones, helicopters and search dogs searched the Wyre river for days.
But in spite of the enormous hunt, a body was not discovered up until the other day — and simply a mile from where Nicola, 45, was last seen.
The discovery — by members of the general public — raised concerns about Lancashire Police’s handling of the examination and search.
A week into the examination leading officers specified it was their belief she had actually fallen under the water at St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancs.
In the previous week, police had actually turned their attention to enhance down river as there had actually been no indication of a body.
Read More on Nicola Bulley
The river and its inlets were examined along the ten-mile path to the Irish Sea at Morecambe Bay.
Family members grew progressively annoyed with the hunt and communicated with independent marine search expert, Peter Faulding, 10 days after Nicola went missing out on.
Mr Faulding, head of Specialist Group International later on concluded she was not in the river.
Following his not successful search, he said: “Bodies don’t tend to move too far. If there were flood waters it would be various. But it wasn’t a raving gush.
“The river was searched extremely thoroughly by the highly competent divers.”
He included: “We have the best piece of equipment you can buy. If I can’t find them, it means they’re not there.”
So concerns stay over how the cops and other searchers handled to miss this body.
Former Met Police leader John O’Connor said: “These search groups couldn’t discover a currant in a rice pudding.
“I discover it useless that a body has actually been discovered a mile from where she went missing out on.”
DNA tests are being performed to validate whether the body is Nicola’s.
Mr O’Connor said: “The recognition procedure recommends the body has actually remained in the water all the time.
Timeline: how the secret unfolded
January 27
AT 8.26am Nicola Bulley, 45, left home to drop her children, 6 and 9, at school and talked briefly to another parent.
She then took her spaniel Willow for a walk by the River Wyre at 8.43am.
She was seen by a dog walker who understood her at about 8.50am.
At 8.53am she sent an email to her employer and a message to her good friends prior to visiting to Microsoft Teams at 9.01am.
She was seen at 9.10am, the last recognized sighting.
At 9.33am, another dog walker discovered her phone on a bench next to the river with Willow darting in between the 2.
At 10.50am Nicola’s family and the school are notified.
Lancashire cops launch an examination.
January 28
Drones, helicopters, search dogs and other rescue groups are released in the location.
January 29
Locals help to search.
January 31
Police consult with a male who had actually been walking a lap dog near the river.
Nicola’s family are “overwhelmed by the support”.
February 1
Dad Ernest Bulley says: “We just dread to think we will never see her again.”
February 2
Officers search the location near to where the mobile was discovered while scuba divers search the River Wyre.
February 3
Police state that Nicola might have fallen under the river.
February 5
Underwater professional Peter Faulding is hired to help by Nicola’s family.
February 7
Mr Faulding says it is not likely she remains in the river.
February 9
The search transfers to Morecambe Bay. Groups recording on phones are distributed.
February 11
Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell, says a regional might be behind the disappearance.
February 12
Yellow ribbons and messages are left by family and friends near the scene.
February 15
Police reveal Nicola’s fights with alcohol and perimenopause, stimulating fury.
February 16
The force refers itself to the cops guard dog.
February 19
Police state they have actually discovered a body. It is recuperated at 11.35am.
“If it is Nicola then it now ends up being a concern of did she slip, was she pressed or did she delve into the river?
“A post-mortem evaluation will develop whether she suffered any injuries from a 3rd party.
“I believe it’s extremely not likely she would have been pressed into the water and after that drowned.
“But this will be identified by a coroner at a complete inquest and in my viewpoint it will be an open decision.
“It is unlikely anyone will ever know with absolute certainty what happened.”
CCTV video footage of Nicola was revealed on January 27 — the day she vanished.
She dropped her kids at school prior to choosing a riverside walk with her dog Willow.
Her cellphone was discovered on a bench in addition to her “bone dry” family pet.
Lancashire Police have actually already come under fire for launching personal information about Nicola and her battles with alcohol in an evident quote to validate their position on her fate in the face of scepticism.
Mr O’Connor continued: “In reality this needs to have been a routine cops questions.
“Sadly, there is absolutely nothing unusual about the way of her disappearance, though the poignancy is worsened by the reality she has 2 young kids.
“The existence of her dog is an abnormality, particularly as its harness was resting on the course, however there might be a basic description.
“She might have attempted to connect the dog to the bench and the animal then got loose. We will never ever understand for sure.”
Ex-Met investigator chief inspector Mick Neville said: “It is, regretfully, not a surprise a body has actually been discovered.
“Fireman Anthony Knott went missing out on after a Christmas celebration in Sussex in 2020.
“He was discovered in a river, 21 days later on and 8 miles downstream.
“A body has actually been discovered after a really comparable duration — simply a mile downstream — however, obviously, all rivers move at various speeds and with various currents.
“The Wyre appears to have a lot of reeds and a body could quickly become caught up in their roots and concealed from initial view.”
Mr Neville included: “Lancashire Police might feel that their investigative approaches and hypotheses that she had actually gotten in the Wyre have actually been vindicated.
“But there are still concerns to respond to.
“Despite a massive search, once again like Anthony Knott, the body has been found by a member of the public.”
Mr Neville likewise questioned whether opportunities supplied by prospective digital proof were lost.
He said: “If there had been prompt action it is possible Nicola’s Mercedes electronic car keys and Fitbit could have been located before battery power ran out.”
Former Met murder detective Simon Harding informed Sky News there must be an independent evaluation of Lancashire Police’s examination and search by an outdoors force.
He said it was crucial they did as much as possible to recuperate the “trust and confidence” of the general public.
