Lancashire Police refer themselves to watchdog over contact with Nicola Bulley prior to disappearance

The referral to the The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) comes after police revealed they were called to her home in response to a concern for welfare incident on January 10, just two weeks before she went missing.

Confirming a referral has been made to the watchdog, a spokesperson for the IPOC said: “This afternoon we received a referral from Lancashire Constabulary regarding contact the force had with Nicola Bulley on January 10, prior to her disappearance.

“We are assessing the available information to determine whether an investigation into that contact may be required and if so, who should conduct that investigation.”

In a statement on Wednesday (February 15), the force said it had sent a response car staffed by officers and health professionals to a report of concern for welfare at the home Nicola shared with her partner Paul Ansell and their two young daughters on January 10.

"No one has been arrested in relation to this incident, but it is being investigated,” said the force.

Police also claimed the missing mum-of-two had "significant issues with alcohol which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with the menopause”.

The force said these struggles had resurfaced over recent months and had “caused some real challenges” for Paul and the family.

It was as a result of those issues, police said, that officers visited their home alongside health professionals on January 10.

The force confirmed it was these ‘specific vulnerabilities’ which had informed their investigation into Nicola’s disappearance from the outset and had led them to believe she had most likely fallen into the River Wyre while walking her Springer Spaniel dog Willow on the morning of Friday, January 27.