Nicola Bulley: Missing mother had alcohol issues, police say

The 45-year-old went missing on 27 January during a riverside dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre.

Officers said Ms Bulley had been considered a high-risk missing person from the start of the investigation.

Lancashire Police said it was called to a concern for welfare report at her home last month.

Health professionals also attended on 10 January, the force said, adding no arrests were made but it was being investigated.

A police spokesman said it was clear after speaking with Ms Bulley's family she had "in the past suffered with some significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause".

"These struggles had resurfaced over recent months [and] this caused some real challenges for [her partner] Paul and the family," the spokesman added.

The force said it had taken the "unusual step" to go into this level of detail as it was "important to clarify what we meant when we talked about vulnerabilities to avoid any further speculation or misinterpretation".

"We have explained to Nicola's family why we have released this further information and we would ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."

Ms Bulley disappeared while walking her springer spaniel, Willow, after dropping off her two daughters - aged six and nine - at school.

Lancashire Police first told the public of their "main working hypothesis" on 3 February, that the mortgage adviser had gone into the river during a "10-minute window" between 09:10 GMT and 09:20 that day.

Her body has still not been found and detectives have extended the search to the sea, saying finding her there "becomes more of a possibility".

In a press conference earlier, Det Supt Smith, who is the lead investigator in the case, confirmed there was still no evidence of a criminal aspect or third-party involvement.

Ms Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, has previously said he was 100% convinced she did not fall into the water.

But Det Supt Smith said their main theory was still that Ms Bulley had "unfortunately gone in the river".

However, she said she could not be "100% certain of that at the minute" as it was a "live investigation" and there was "always information coming in".

She said other hypotheses remained in place and were "reviewed regularly".

-bbc