Police to face questions over Nicola Bulley disclosures

Police will be asked about Nicola Bulley health disclosures to ensure they were necessary, the information commissioner says.

John Edwards said personal details should not be "disclosed inappropriately".

The 45-year-old disappeared three weeks ago during a riverside dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire.

Lancashire Police was criticised for making her struggles with alcohol and the menopause public.

The force said it would conduct an internal review into their investigation, which would be conducted by Head of Crime Det Ch Supt Pauline Stables.

Mr Edwards said data protection laws existed "to ensure personal information is used properly and fairly".

"Police can disclose information to protect the public and investigate crime, but they would need to be able to demonstrate such disclosure was necessary," he said.

"We recognise that at this stage of an intensive, live investigation, the force must focus all their energies on the inquiry.

"But given the high profile nature of this case, we will be asking Lancashire Police to set out how they reached the decision to disclose this information in due course."

He told BBC Radio 4 World at One he would not comment specifically on Lancashire Police, but to release personal information about a person's health there "would need to be a really clear and demonstrable need and a clear link between that disclosure and a legitimate police objective".

The home secretary has also raised concerns with police after they revealed personal information about the missing mother-of-two.

A source close to Suella Braverman said she had "asked for an explanation".

A Home Office spokesman said: "The home secretary and policing minister are receiving regular updates from Lancashire Police on its handling of this case, including why personal information about Nicola was briefed out at this stage of the investigation."

In an interview with Sky News, Ms Bulley's father said that "every day is a struggle" as the family waits for news.

Ernie Bulley said: "[We're] no further on from three weeks ago. [We] just need a breakthrough to give us some hope."

In a statement released on Wednesday, Lancashire Police said Ms Bulley had suffered with "some significant issues with alcohol" and "ongoing struggles with the menopause".

This prompted a backlash from campaigners, MPs and legal experts, with some accusing the police of breaching her privacy.

Ms Bulley's family later released a statement via the police, in which they elaborated on her health, saying she had suffered significant side effects due to the perimenopause, including "brain fog" and "restless sleep".

They also asked for speculation surrounding her private life to end and urged the public to focus on finding their "wonderful daughter, sister, partner and mother".

Dame Vera Baird, the former victims' commissioner for England and Wales, told BBC Radio 4's Today Lancashire Police had been subject to "heavy, and in my view, totally justified criticism".

"If it was relevant, it needed to be in a public domain at the start, and it wasn't," she said.

Wyre Council leader Michael Vincent said the case was "clearly unprecedented" and it was "right there is an inquiry into the way the police have handled this, but from my understanding, their handling of the actual investigation has been very good".

Lancashire Police said it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over contact it had with Ms Bulley before she vanished.

It said it had been called to a report of "concern for welfare" on 10 January when officers and health professionals visited her home. No arrests were made.

The force said the referral only related to the force's interaction with the family on that date and not the wider missing person investigation.

The IOPC said it was assessing the available information to determine whether an investigation was required.

Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel, Willow, after dropping off her two daughters at school.

Her phone was found still connected to a work conference call.

Police and specialist teams have since mounted a huge search, but no trace of her has been found.

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