Body found near where missing mum Nicola Bulley vanished - live

A diver involved in the search for missing mum Nicola Bulley has said he did not give her family 'false hope' by saying she was not in the river near where she disappeared, the Mirror reports.

Peter Faulding previously said that Nicola was not in the River Wyre after he searched for her there.

It comes as Lancashire Police confirmed a body had been found in the river in St Michael's near where Nicola went missing on January 27.

He said: "If Nicola was in that river, I would have found her. She’s not there."

Faulding, a forensic expert drafted in 10 days after Nicola's disappearance, hit back at the idea that he had given false hope to Nicola's relatives.

The Specialist Group International chief said: "If I gave them false hope, then what about the police search teams there every day? I was there for three days as a volunteer."

He added today: "I think that would be totally unfair to be honest with you, and I would sling the hook and give up searching."

The investigation into Nicola's disappearance has attracted widespread speculation as well as criticism of the police response.

The force came under fire after making Nicola's struggles with alcohol and peri-menopause public three weeks after she vanished.

In a press conference on Wednesday, they revealed the mother-of-two was classed as a “high-risk” missing person immediately after her partner eported her disappearance, “based on a number of specific vulnerabilities”.

They later added in a statement that Nicola from Inskip in Lancashire, had stopped taking her HRT medication.

A public backlash and interventions from the Government and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper followed, with Lancashire Constabulary confirming a date had been set for an internal review into the investigation.

A spokeswoman said: “A review of the investigation is diarised and will be conducted by our head of crime detective Chief Superintendent Pauline Stables.”

Nicola's partner Paul Ansell has spoken of his agony following the news a body had been found in the river.

In a message to Sky News, he said: “No words right now, just agony. We’re all together, we have to be strong.”

It is understood that a man and a woman walking their dog discovered the body on Sunday morning, around a mile from where the 45-year-old mortgage adviser was last seen.

Lancashire Constabulary said officers were called to the River Wyre close to Rawcliffe Road at around 11.35am. They confirmed that the body had not yet been formally identified and were treating the death as unexplained.

“An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body,” a statement said.

“No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is NicolaBulley at this time.

“Procedures to identify the body are ongoing. We are currently treating the death as unexplained.

“Nicola’s family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected.”

Nicola Bulley's partner has told of his "agony" after police found a body in their search for the missing mum-of-two.

This evening, Sky News correspondent Inzamam Rashid said that he had been in contact with Ms Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, via text.

He wrote in a message: 'No words right now, just agony."

Yellow ribbons and messages for Nicole Bulley have been tied to a bridge in St Michael's on Wyre.

They have also been left on the bench where her phone was found.

A search expert working with the Nicola Bulley investigation has made a statement following the discovery of a body this afternoon.

Peter Faulding was recruited by Nicola’s family to help find her 10 days after she went missing. As the head of Specialist Group International (SGI), he oversaw a series of underwater searches across three days.

He posted on social media:

Our thoughts are with Nicola's family and friends at this difficult time. #nicolabulley

No formal identification of the body has yet been made.

Police block a road near the River Wyre in St Michael's on Wyre as a 'Missing' sign for Nicola Bulley adorns a telegraph pole.

Suella Braverman, Home Secretary and Conservative MP for Fareham, has described the developments as "heart-breaking and distressing".

She tweeted: “These are heart-breaking and distressing developments. My thoughts remain with Nicola’s family at this extremely difficult time.”

A Lancashire Police spokesman said officers were called to reports of a body in the river close to Rawcliffe Road at around 11.35am on Sunday.

Further images have emerged of police at the scene.

Police at the scene of the investigation.

Photos from the scene where a body has been recovered from the River Wyre.

Police still have Rawcliffe Road cordoned off after a body was pulled from the River Wyre.

The Manchester Evening News have a reporter on the scene.

Andrew Snowden, Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "My thoughts are with Nicola’s family and friends at a difficult time. I’d like to thank the Lancashire Police officers and staff working on scene and across the force.

"Please can we see respect and privacy for Nicola’s family and friends and the Police as they go about their work."

Lancashire Police have announced that while they work to identify the body found in the River Wyre this morning, they are currently treating the death as 'unexplained'.

A police cordon remains in place at the scene of today's incident on the River Wyre, Lancashire.

Soon after receiving reports from members of the general public, police teams, divers, helicopters and drones were deployed to the scene.

Lancashire Police are now working to identify the body which they found in the River Wyre this afternoon.

The force said: "No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time."

Taking to their official Facebook Page, Lancashire Police wrote:

"This morning, Sunday, 19 February, you may be aware of police activity around the river near to St Michaels. We want to provide you with an update on that activity.

"We were called today at 11:36am to reports of a body in the River Wyre, close to Rawcliffe Road.

"An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body.

"No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time.

"Procedures to identify the body are on-going.

"We are currently treating the death as unexplained.

"Nicola’s family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected."

There is still said to be a 'significant' police presence around the River Wyre, as diving teams carry out their searches.

BBC News reports that a tent has been erected at the scene which police have been searching the River Wyre this afternoon.

The publication also reports that it is not known why the tent has been put up.

Sky News reports that: "Senior Investigating Officer for #NicolaBulley, Rebecca Smith has arrived at the area where police are carrying out an extensive search of the river Wyre."

A police drone remains in place as divers search the River Wyre.

The police helicopter which arrived this afternoon has since dispersed, but a police drone remains - according to Sky News.

A search team has been pictured at the River Wyre, as the investigation into the disappearance of Nicola Bulley continues.