Lancashire Police has been chastised for revealing that Nikki had previously had “some significant issues with alcohol,” which had resurfaced in recent months.

Experts have called the information withheld from him ‘absolutely outrageous,’ as it would have changed how he searched the stretch of the River Wyre in St Michael’s. Others are outraged that her private medical information was released when her death had not been confirmed.

Mark Williams-Thomas, a former police officer turned investigative journalist who helped expose Jimmy Savile’s crimes, is investigating Ms Bulley’s disappearance and is currently in the area.

If police dealt with high-risk status from the start, it would have provided much more understanding, leading to less confusion, public hysteria, and media involvement (which police haven’t dealt with) & led to less damage to Paul & family, who are right now in a terrible place after y/day,’ he tweeted today.

Lancashire Police sparked outrage and grief after revealing that mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, 45 (pictured with her partner Paul), had been struggling with alcohol issues brought on by ongoing menopausal symptoms.

‘I just can’t believe she jumped in the water at the point by the bench to die for many reasons,’ he said, outlining his own theories about what happened.

He stated that the main lines he is considering are that Nikki ‘went in the water at a different point,’ ‘left on foot,’ and is still in the area’.

It’s now clear why the cops didn’t secure the scene forensically and rule out third-party involvement so quickly because they were treating Nicola Bulley as a high-risk misperception’ (missing person). However, this action-fueled speculation and criticism of the police at a time when trust is at an all-time low.

The diving expert who led the search for Nicola Bulley claims police never told him she had alcohol problems and that he would have searched differently if he had known.

After Lancashire Police revealed her issues with alcohol ‘brought on by her ongoing struggles with menopause’, the force was strongly condemned by MPs and campaign groups.

The decision to disclose this level of detail on a missing person’s private life, with no evidence that this is assisting in finding her, is deeply troubling,’ said Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow.

‘Police need to be much clearer about why any of this helps find Nicola Bulley or supports this investigation,’ says one source.

Nicola Bulley ‘could have ended up in the sea,’ according to a diving expert involved in the search, after police revealed she was ‘high risk’ and had been struggling with alcohol.

According to forensic search expert Peter Faulding, the information was withheld from him because it would have changed how he searched the stretch of the River Wyre in St Michael’s.

His remarks come after Lancashire police revealed that the missing Ms Bulley, 45, had significant issues with alcohol brought on by ongoing struggles with menopause’.

Police initially said she had ‘vulnerabilities’ yesterday but hours later shared more details, explaining they felt it was ‘important to clarify’.

However, the decision to publicly share personal information about the mother-of-two has been described as “deeply troubling” by MPs and campaigners.

Ms Bulley went missing on January 27 while walking her dog along the River Wyre in St Michael’s.

Ms Bulley was immediately classified as ‘high risk’ when she was reported missing due to her ‘vulnerabilities,’ according to a briefing yesterday.

However, detectives stated on February 3 that Ms Bulley was not ill and was not being treated for any illness.

The police also revealed that officers conducted a welfare check at her home on January 10. They confirmed that no one has been arrested and that an investigation is underway.

After conducting a search under the premise that she had slipped in, Peter Faulding previously stated that the mother-of-two could not be in the river.

He now believes she could be much further downstream if she intended to commit suicide.

‘If she had jumped in, intended to take her own life, or walked away, that would change my entire plan,’ Mr Faulding told Jeremy Kyle on TalkTV.

‘She could have drowned in the sea.’

‘I find it absolutely outrageous that this was not shared with me,’ Mr Faulding told The Times.

‘It’s disgraceful, and someone must take responsibility.’

Ms Bulley has been missing for nearly three weeks, but a search expert advising the police told The Times that it can take up to 100 days to find a body in a river.

The expert, who was not identified by the newspaper, stated that in some cases, the body is never discovered.

The river was flowing at a rate of 3.8 cubic metres per second on the day Ms Bulley went missing.

According to the expert, enough to carry her over the weir and downstream.

Lancashire Police said in a detailed public briefing that they were keeping an open mind but that there was no evidence that anyone was involved.

The police’s ‘working hypothesis’ is that Nicola fell into the river while walking her dog, though they were looking into a number of possibilities.

Ms Bulley, 45, had been suffering from menopause. According to experts, women go through menopause at the age of 51 on average, though it can begin at any age between 40 and 58.

The body goes through major hormonal changes during this time, as the ovaries stop producing oestrogen and progesterone.

This causes hot flushes, night sweats, and mood swings in the early stages, among other symptoms.

In response to the police announcement, Labour MP for Walthamstow questioned the decision to make details about Ms Bulley’s personal life public.

‘The decision to disclose this level of detail on a missing person’s private life, with no evidence that this is assisting in her recovery, is deeply troubling,’ she tweeted.

‘Police need to be much clearer about why any of this helps find Nicola Bulley or supports this investigation,’ says one source.

Silkie Carlo, of Big Brother Watch, said the decision to broadcast Ms Bulley’s health issues and hormone status was a ‘serious invasion of her privacy with no obvious benefits for the investigation’

Many social media users felt the decision highlighted the police’s treatment of women, which has recently come under scrutiny as a result of high-profile cases involving former officers like Wayne Couzens and David Carrick.

Jamie Klingler, Co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, said that she ‘Was not invested in the Nicola Bulley story until the police started using her as a shield to protect their own incompetence.

‘This is not how a missing woman should be treated. It’s cruel to her children and to her. They do this all the time.’

Jo Maugham, director of the Good Law Project, questioned how the police would justify their decision if the mother-of-two was found alive.

He tweeted: ‘If, as we all hope, Nicola Bulley is found alive how will the police justify a breach of her confidentiality to, what looks like, manage their own reputation?’

Alicia Kearns, Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton, tweeted: ‘I am deeply uncomfortable with the police releasing Nicola Bulley’s so-called “vulnerabilities” on menopause and alcohol.

‘I’m not sure how this will help police with their searches and investigations.

‘I can see how it would help those who want to blame or diminish.’

The briefing earlier in the day revealed Ms Bulley’s long-term partner Paul Ansell had told them of a ‘number of specific vulnerabilities’ that caused them to treat her disappearance as ‘high risk’.

‘As soon as she was reported missing, following the information provided to the police by her partner Paul, and based on a number of specific vulnerabilities that we were made aware of, Nicola was graded as high-risk,’ said Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith.

With the information we had, that was normal in a missing person investigation. As any senior investigating officer would, you generate a number of hypotheses or scenarios that are possible based on the information at hand.’

Lancashire Police Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said yesterday that the force had put in a “unprecedented amount of work” in searching for Nicola.

He stated that this included visiting over 300 locations, speaking with nearly 300 people, and receiving approximately 1,500 pieces of information.

‘Those vulnerabilities based our decision-making in terms of grading Nicola as high risk and have continued to form part of my investigation throughout,’ said senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Rebecca Smith.