Paul Ansell, the partner of the late Nicola Bulley, has spoken publicly for the first time in two years about the 'horrible' loss and the intense public scrutiny his family endured. In a lecture at the London School of Economics on Monday, he described the trauma of his wife's disappearance and the invasive media attention that followed.
Nicola Bulley, a 45-year-old mortgage advisor, vanished on 27 January 2023 after dropping her daughters at school in St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire. She walked her dog along the River Wyre, attended a work call, and was last seen on a bench by the river. Her phone, dog harness and lead were found, but she was not. A major search operation ensued, involving drones, helicopters and police dogs.
The case attracted widespread public interest, including from TikTok 'sleuths' who travelled to the village and spread conspiracy theories. Paul Ansell faced baseless accusations online. He said the intrusion was 'very, very intrusive' and 'a horrible thing to experience on its own, let alone when you're experiencing everything that we were'.
A College of Policing report in November 2023 found that Lancashire Police's press office struggled with the volume of interest, with 6,500 news stories published in one day and TikTok videos amassing over 270 million views. The report also noted that social media influencers were mistakenly allowed into police briefings, which it called a 'significant mistake'.
