The case has captured public attention and it remains the police’s “working hypothesis” that Bulley fell into the River Wyre while taking her dog, Willow, for a walk. However, specialist divers have been unable to find any trace of the missing woman, leading to ongoing social media speculation and “armchair detectives” theorising and debating what may have happened online.

In a statement shared on 16 February, Bulley’s relatives asked the public to end the “appalling” levels of speculation and “rumours” about her private life, as they spoke about the “significant” side effects she faced from perimenopause.

Bulley reportedly suffered from brain fog and restless sleep and stopped taking hormone replacement drugs as these gave her “intense headaches”. Bulley’s family also said they had been aware in advance that the force was planning to release personal information about “Nikki”.

Nicola Bulley: body found by police has been identified as the missing woman