Police blasted for 'sexist' Nicola Bulley error as watchdog launches probe

The way personal information was released by police about Nicola Bulley was “sexist” and a “dreadful error”, the former victims’ commissioner has said.

Lancashire Police have come under heavy criticism for revealing the details about the missing mother's “vulnerabilities” in the weeks before her disappearance that they say made her “high risk”. They later added in a statement that she had been struggling with alcohol issues and the menopause, and had stopped taking HRT medication.

The Information Commissioner has launched a probe about the police's decision to disclose Nicola's personal health information, saying in a statement today that he will 'be asking Lancashire Police to set out how they reached the decision to disclose this information'. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has also demanded an 'explanation' over the revelations.

And on Friday, former victims’ commissioner Dame Vera Baird, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said: “A future family like this is going to face the torment of not knowing whether to run the risk of gratuitously wrecking your relative’s reputation by giving every detail away … or missing the chance of catching whoever has got them, or getting her back.

READ MORE: Nicola Bulley latest as family release statement detailing missing mum's health struggles

“So, I’m afraid this is the biggest error that I have seen for quite a long time. It’s going to just, you know, very sadly, to undermine trust in the police yet further.”

Asked if it was an error that would have been made if the potential victim was a man, she said: “I do not think that it would. Would we have had police officers saying, you know, if it was Nicholas, he’s been unfortunately tied down with alcohol because he’s