The family of missing Nicola Bulley call for an end to “appalling” speculation about her private life.
The family of missing Nicola Bulley have said “appalling” speculation surrounding her private life “needs to stop”.
The 45-year-old went missing on 27 January during a riverside dog walk in St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire.
Police had faced a growing backlash for revealing she had ongoing struggles with alcohol and the menopause.
Her family said she would not have wanted the information released, but that police had kept them informed.
In a new statement, they said: “As a family, we were aware beforehand that Lancashire Police, last night, released a statement with some personal details about our Nikki.
“Although we know that Nikki would not have wanted this, there are people out there speculating and threatening to sell stories about her. This is appalling and needs to stop.
“The police know the truth about Nikki and now the public need to focus on finding her.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has said it has made contact with Lancashire Police regarding information made public in Wednesday’s press conference.
A spokesman said it had done so “to determine if a referral to the IOPC may be required”.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.