February 17, 2023 at 10:42 am GMT
Updated 34 minutes ago
Image source, police handout
picture description,
Nicola Bulley disappeared while walking a dog on a riverside in Lancashire on January 27
Police are being asked for Nicola Bulley’s health information to ensure it was necessary, information commissioner says.
John Edwards said personal information should not be “inappropriately” disclosed.
The 45-year-old disappeared three weeks ago while dog walking by the river in St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire.
Lancashire Police have been criticized for making their struggles with alcohol and menopause public.
Mr Edwards said data protection laws are in place “to ensure that personal data is used properly and fairly”.
“Police can disclose information to protect the public and investigate crimes, but they would need to be able to demonstrate that such disclosure was necessary,” he said.
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Nicola Bulley’s parents left yellow ribbons on the bridge over the River Wyre
“We recognize that at this stage of an intense live investigation, the force must focus all of their energies on the investigation.
“But given the high profile of this case we will ask Lancashire Police to explain how they came to the decision to release this information when the time comes.”
The home secretary has also raised concerns with police after she released personal information about the missing mother-of-two.
A source close to Suella Braverman said she had “requested an explanation.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “The Home Secretary and Police Secretary receive regular updates from Lancashire Police on the handling of this case, including the reasons why personal information about Nicola was shared at this stage of the inquiry.”
Image source, Lancashire Police
picture description,
Nicola Bulley disappeared while walking her dog
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.”
Dame Vera Baird, the former England and Wales Victims’ Officer, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Lancashire Police that she had faced “severe 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.
Wyre Council leader Michael Vincent said the case was “clearly unprecedented” and that it was “precise, there is an inquiry into how the police handled it, but from my understanding their handling of the actual inquiry was very good.” .
Lancashire Police say they have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over contact with Ms Bulley before her disappearance.
She said she was called to a report on “concern for well-being” on Jan. 10 when officials and health workers visited her home. No arrests were made.
The force said the referral relates only to the force’s interaction with family that day and not to the broader investigation into the missing person.
The IOPC said it was evaluating the information available to determine whether an investigation was needed.
Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel, Willow, after taking her two daughters to school.
Your phone was found still connected to a business conference call.
Police and specialist teams have since conducted a major search but no trace of her has been found.