Tragic end for a mother whose disappearance fascinated the British

< /p> UPDATE DAY

Police confirmed on Monday that the body discovered in a river in north-west England on Sunday was that of a mother whose disappearance in late January fascinated Britons and inflamed social media.

“Sadly we can now confirm that we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre yesterday,” Lancashire Police confirmed in a brief press briefing.

< p>The 45-year-old mother was last seen by the River Wyre on January 27 walking her dog after dropping her two little girls off at school. His phone was still connected to an online conference when he was found on a bench. Her dog had not gone into the water, some seeing it as a sign that the mother of the family could not have fallen into the river.

The body was found approximately one mile from where she was last seen.

Police had from the start ruled out foul play. Beatings had yielded nothing, no more than searches in the river by specialized teams.

In the absence of the slightest element, theories had flourished on social networks, with the hashtag Nicola Bulley used nearly 1.8 million times according to Sky News.

Some had improvised amateur detectives, going to the scene, at the risk of complicating the work of the police.

The latter had revealed a few days ago that Nicola Bulley was considered a person “ vulnerable” due to problems with alcohol, and premenopausal difficulties. She had been criticized for releasing the details, but the announcement was apparently intended to prevent the details from being sold to the tabloid press.

In a statement, the family on Monday denounced the “appalling” behavior of “the press and members of the public”.

“The press and members of the public accused their father (of the two little girls, editor's note) of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family. It's absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable, it can't happen to another family,” she said. join her Sunday evening after the discovery of the body, even though she had asked everyone to respect her privacy.