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The father of missing mother Nicola Bulley has said ‘every day is a struggle’ in an emotional statement three weeks on from when she vanished.
Ernie Bulley expressed his desperation for a breakthrough after his 45-year-old daughter disappeared while walking her dog in the village of St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire on January 27. She has now been missing for 21 days.
‘Every day is a struggle,’ Mr Bulley told Sky News. ‘[We’re] no further on from three weeks ago.
‘[We] just need a breakthrough to give us some hope.’
Nicola’s sister Louise Cunningham also wrote a message on the three week anniversary of her disappearance saying: ‘Three weeks without you home.’
Ernie Bulley and his daughter Nicola – he is hoping for a breakthrough
Ms Bulley’s parents and sister spoke at an appeal a number of weeks ago to try and find her
Nicola Bulley’s sister, Louise Cunnigham (front) ties a ribbon to the bridge with an emotional message
Ms Bulley’s parents Ernest, 73, and Dot Bulley, 72, left a yellow ribbon tied to the bridge over the River Wyre near where their daughter vanished.
Among other ribbons left by friends and well-wishers, the message from Ms Bulley’s parents read: ‘We pray every day for you. Love you, Mum + Dad XXX.’
A second ribbon, believed to be from Ms Bulley’s sister Louise Cunningham, read: ‘Nikki please come home. I love you. Lou XXX’.
It comes after police looking for Ms Bulley were branded sexist today in an excoriating blast at their integrity after they revealed she had been struggling with the menopause.
Lancashire Constabulary was warned its extraordinary release of the mother-of-two’s private medical and personal information could derail further investigations.
And in the most damning criticism, the force was told its actions would ‘undermine trust in the police yet further’.
The broadside, from former victims’ commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird, contained the gravest accusations against officers so far.
Dame Vera said today: ‘Would we have had police officers saying, you know, if it was Nicholas, he’s been unfortunately tied down with alcohol because he’s been suffering from erectile dysfunction for the last few weeks? I think not.
‘You can hear all the senior police officers squirming as I say it, I would have thought.’
Police previously said Ms Bulley had ‘specific vulnerabilities’ which made her a ‘high-risk’ missing person.
Lancashire Police search team survey the River Wyre in the search for Nicola Bulley
The search for Nicola Bulley has now hit the three week mark – police in Lancashire today
Paul Ansell (right), the distraught partner of missing dog walker Nicola Bulley (left), is growing ‘frustrated’ with police over their stalling investigation, it was revealed on Tuesday
Nicola Bulley and her partner Paul Ansell were planning on getting married in the future
Information Commissioner John Edwards said in a statement he would be speaking to Lancashire Police about why it decided to disclose information about her alcohol and HRT issues.
Mr Edwards said in a statement: ‘Data protection law exists to ensure people’s personal information is used properly and fairly. This includes ensuring personal details are not disclosed inappropriately.
‘Police can disclose information to protect the public and investigate crime, but they would need to be able to demonstrate such disclosure was necessary.
‘We recognise that at this stage of an intensive, live investigation, the force must focus all their energies on the inquiry.
‘But given the high-profile nature of this case, we will be asking Lancashire Police to set out how they reached the decision to disclose this information in due course.’
Home Secretary Suella Braverman demanded an ‘explanation’ from the force about why it disclosed those details at a press conference on Wednesday, a source revealed.
According to a source close to the Home Secretary, she received an explanation from police on Thursday evening after becoming ‘concerned’ with how the issue was being handled.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was assessing the information to determine whether an investigation would be necessary over the contact officers had with Ms Bulley on January 10.
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