Nicola Bulley police force deemed ‘in need of improvement’ months before mother went missing

Lancashire Police were found to “require improvement” in investigating crimes months before the force was criticised over its handling of the search for missing mum Nicola Bulley.

An inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary found that investigations “aren’t always carried out in a timely manner and sometimes lack effective investigation plans, which are poorly supervised”, adding that “this means relevant lines of enquiry may be missed”.

In a report published on 14 October, the watchdog found the force to be “good” overall in six areas and “adequate” in one other.

With regard to the “requires improvement” rating, the inspectorate’s report stated: “Further work is required to improve the quality of its investigations into less serious offences, particularly those led by response officers.

“Due to their inexperience, investigation plans should be created, and increased supervisory oversight is needed to ensure all investigative opportunities are taken.”

It comes after the force faced heavy criticism over its investigation into the disappearance of Bulley, whose body was found in the River Wyre on 19 February three weeks after she was reported missing.

Lancashire Police were criticised for not declaring the area where she disappeared a crime scene, and later for alerting the media to the mother of two’s struggles with perimenopause and alcohol.

Former detective and TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas, who exposed the activities of Jimmy Savile, said the police response had been “shocking”, while home secretary Suella Braverman demanded an explanation for the disclosure of Bulley’s personal details.

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Several inquiries have been launched into the force’s handling of the case, including one by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and another by Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The inspectorate’s report, following an inspection conducted before Bulley went missing, found that, of the 35 relevant cases reviewed, 21 had good victim engagement but “the completion of victim needs assessments and personal statements was disappointing” with sometimes inadequate attention to detail.

The force was found to have made improvements in the quality of its investigations after establishing a chief-constable-led Investigation Standards Board. “However, the constabulary would benefit from reviewing its policy for allocating officers to domestic abuse investigations,” the report added.

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His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Matt Parr, said: “I am pleased with the performance of Lancashire Constabulary in keeping people safe and reducing crime, although it needs to improve in some areas to provide a consistently good service. The new leadership team has made a very positive start and is acting quickly on the issues we have raised.”

He added that the force works well with partner organisations and within the community. “However,” he said, “The constabulary should review how it investigates domestic abuse, as well as looking at the role and responsibilities of its response officers to ensure they have the capacity to meet demand. There is more to be done in these areas.”

A statement from the force read: “We acknowledge the findings of the report in which we are graded as ‘good’ in six areas, and where any areas for improvement were identified, work is already under way to address these.”