Search expert stands by claims he found missing Nicola Bulley's body despite police denials

A water search expert involved in the hunt for Nicola Bulley remains at loggerheads with police over claims he found her body 12 days before it was officially discovered.

Peter Faulding, who was called in at the insistence of Ms Bulley’s family, still says he discovered the mother-of-two in the River Wyre on February 7. However, police deny this and say a diver checked the area on the same day and found only tree branches.

A review of police’s handling of the investigation into Ms Bulley’s disappearance, published on Tuesday, found that some of Mr Faulding’s behaviour and activities “caused challenges to the investigation”. In an interview posted on YouTube, Mr Faulding insisted he found Ms Bulley’s body within six minutes of starting his search.

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He said: “I was totally sure that that took human form straight away and it needed to be dived straight away. Because it was the shadows of two arms, two legs… that needed an immediate dive.”

The police diver who went to check the stretch of water said it was tree branches and told the review: “I am actually 100% sure that there was no body in that part of the water at that time. It is not very often I dive in such an unobstructed body of water with such a flat bottom and with visibility.’

Head of the College of Policing Andy Marsh told journalists at a press conference on Tuesday: “The area around the bench was searched three times and the third time was in direct response to the report of his suspicions.

“We have shown as part of the review Peter Faulding’s images from that area at