17 February 2023 at 18:03 GMT
Updated 47 minutes ago
Image source, police handout
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Nicola Bulley disappeared while walking a dog on a riverside in Lancashire on January 27
The Prime Minister said he was “concerned private information has been made public” as police investigated Nicola Bulley’s disappearance.
Rishi Sunak told broadcasters he was “pleased that the police are investigating how this happened”.
“The focus has to be on finding them,” he added.
Speaking to Times Radio, Sir Keir Starmer – the Labor Party leader and former chief prosecutor – said he was “very surprised to see what the police have published there”.
“I wasn’t sure why so much personal information was necessary,” he added.
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Rishi Sunak said his thoughts are with Ms Bulley’s friends and family
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Sunak said: “Well I agree with the Home Secretary and like her I was concerned that this private information was being made public and I believe the police are investigating how that happened in the investigation.
“Of course my thoughts are with Nicolas friends and family.”
Ms Bulley, 45, disappeared three weeks ago while dog walking along the riverbank in St Michael on Wyre in Lancashire after dropping her two daughters off at school.
Your phone was found still connected to a business conference call.
Lancashire Police said they would be conducting an internal review of their investigation, which would be led by their chief of crime, Det Ch Supt Pauline Stables.
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Police officers were pictured on the Shard Bridge on the River Wyre on Friday
In a statement released on Wednesday, Lancashire Police said Ms Bulley had suffered from “some significant problems with alcohol” and “ongoing struggles with menopause”.
This sparked a backlash from activists, MPs and legal experts, with some accusing the police of invading their privacy.
They also called for an end to speculation about her personal life and urged the public to focus on finding their “wonderful daughter, sister, partner and mother.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had received a referral from police regarding officers’ contacts with Ms Bulley on January 10 before she went missing.
Health professionals also attended her address, the force said, adding no arrests had been made but it was being investigated.
Dame Vera Baird, the former England and Wales Victims’ Officer, told BBC Radio 4 Today the police had faced “serious and, in my opinion, entirely justified criticism”.
“If it was relevant, it had to be in the public domain from the start, and it wasn’t,” she said.