Nicola Bulley had specific vulnerabilities, say police

1. Lancashire Police have updated the public on their search for missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, 19 days after her disappearance
2. The 45-year-old disappeared on 27 January after a riverside dog walk in St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire
3. Det Supt Becky Smith tells reporters Bulley is a "high-risk" missing person with "specific vulnerabilities" but says she won't go into detail
4. She says detectives have still found no evidence of a "criminal aspect or third party involvement"
5. And she says her "main working hypothesis" remains that Bulley went into the River Wyre, but the investigation is ongoing
6. Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson defends his force's investigation, recognising there has been criticism
7. Bulley's partner, Paul Ansell, has said he is "100% convinced" she's not in the river

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Our coverage today was brought to you by Christy Cooney, Emily McGarvey, Krystyna Gajda and Aoife Walsh.

The editors were Sam Hancock and Jasmine Taylor-Coleman.

Live coverage ending

We're going to close this page soon following that press conference by the police investigating Nicola Bulley's disappearance.

A reminder that one of the key points we learnt today was that Bulley had "specific vulnerabilities", which defined the mother-of-two as a "high risk missing person". Police wouldn't go into further details about what that meant, out of respect for the family.

You can read more about the press conference and what we learnt here.

I am convinced Nicola is not in the river - partner

Nicola Bulley's partner '100% convinced' her body is not in the river

Today Lancashire Police have said their main working hypothesis remains that Nicola Bulley had gone into the River Wyre - although they've stressed that they're still investigating.

This is something they've been saying since 4 February.

But Nicola Bulley's partner has disputed this theory.

Paul Ansell told Channel 5 five days ago he was "100% convinced" she was not in the river. "Something has happened. Find out what it is," he said.

Divers have searched the River Wyre and surrounding countryside, but no trace of Bulley has been found.

Watch: Bulley is a 'high-risk' missing person

Here's the moment Det Supt Becky Smith was asked for more information about Nicola Bulley's "specific vulnerabilities", as told to police by her partner Paul Ansell.

She said the information had led police to class Bulley as a "high-risk" missing person, but declined to give further details, pointing to the family's "pain and distress".

Referring to Bulley's partner, she told a press conference that gathering the necessary information was "normal" in any missing person investigation.

SIO Det Supt Becky Smith: Nicola Bulley was seen as a ''high-risk'' missing person

Bulley's vulnerabilities most significant revelation

Nick Garnett

Reporting from Lancashire Police HQ

Police Handout

The most significant information to come out of the press conference related to a conversation between Nicola Bulley’s family and the police investigating her disappearance.

Det Supt Becky Smith, the senior investigating officer, referred to Bulley's “specific vulnerabilities”, which led police to categorise the 45-year-old as what they define as a “high risk missing person”. They wouldn’t go into further detail about what that meant.

This was the first time the senior investigating officer has spoken to the media since Bulley went missing. The force has been criticised for the way it has handled the inquiry with a number of former detectives questioning how Lancashire Police had responded.

Today, the force's Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson said he was providing more detail than he normally would because of the huge interest in the case and the amount of speculation on social media which officers say has proved a distraction from police work.

The police reiterated they still have no evidence of criminal activity nor of anyone else being involved in Nicola Bulley’s disappearance.

They still firmly believe it is most likely that, for one reason or another, she had gone into the River Wyre.

What did we learn?

Lancashire Police have concluded their latest press conference on Nicola Bulley's disappearance.

They acknowledged criticism of the police investigation but said they wanted to give greater detail into what officers have been doing in the 19 days since she vanished. Here's what we learned.

High-risk: Det Supt Becky Smith, the senior investigating officer, said Bulley was graded as "high-risk" based on a number of specific "individual vulnerabilities" police were told about by her partner Paul Ansell. Smith refused to give further details out of respect for Bulley's family.

The glove: Addressing a report in the Sun, Smith said a glove had been recovered but it was not relevant to the investigation. She said social media sleuths had distracted the investigation and been hurtful for Bulley's family.

River hypothesis: Smith said her working hypothesis remains that the likelihood is Bulley went into the River Wyre. But she stressed she can't be certain that is what happened as the investigation's live and there's new information coming in.

Criminal aspect: Police stressed there has been no information to suggest a third-party was involved or that Bulley left the field where her phone was found on a bench.

Derelict house: Smith confirmed a derelict house near the river had been searched three times and Bulley was not there.

Bulley's dog: Asked if it was significant that Bulley's dog was running between the bench and the gate - not the bench and the water's edge - police said they couldn't speak to the dog and all they could say is that he was running back and forth in the area where Bulley's possessions were found.

Social media activity: Smith said police are doing "further work" on Bulley's social media accounts. This might mean Bulley will show up as online on those accounts, but police have full control of Bulley's phone and it will be them, not anyone else, using the accounts.

Watch: 'I hope with all my heart we find Nicola Bulley alive'

Also during that news event, the force's Senior Investigating Officer Det Supt Becky Smith outlined her "working hypothesis" on Nicola Bulley's disappearance – that she has "unfortunately gone in the river".

Watch that moment here.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Supt Becky Smith speaks to reporters about her "working hypothesis"

Watch: 'No evidence to suggest a crime' - police

Here's a key moment from the press conference that's just finished.

Lancashire Police's Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson says there's "no evidence" to suggest any crime was committed in Nicola Bulley's disappearance.

Lancashire Police say there's no evidence of third party involvement in Nicola Bulley's disappearance

Press conference ends

Finally, a reporter asks whether it's significant that Bulley's dog Willow was running between the bench and the gate and not the bench and the water's edge.

"We've consulted people, and that is ongoing, but obviously I can't speak to the dog and all we can say is he was running backwards and forwards and he was still in the area where Nicola's possessions were," police say.

With that the press conference is over. Stay tuned for a recap of the main points.

Social media sleuths harmful to Bulley's family - police

Next up is a question from the BBC's Nick Garnett.

He asks if social media sleuths have been an annoyance to the investigation.

Smith says yes and adds that she has never seen anything like it in her 29 years of police service.

It has been hurtful for Bulley's family and it has significantly distracted the investigation, she adds.

River search to be reviewed 'in days ahead'

Lawson is asked how long police plan to keep searching the river.

"The search effort, both water-based and land-based, continues this week," he says.

"Water is an inherently challenging medium to search," he says, adding: "Parts of the river have been searched repeatedly because of the shifting water patterns and tidal nature of it."

He says he retains “all hope” and the search is continuing this week, but that there will be a point “in the days ahead” when he'll have to review the “proportionality” of continuing to dedicate resources to searching the river.

Grading Bulley as 'high risk' meant significant resources from the start - police

Addressing questions about Bulley being graded as high risk, Lawson says this happened immediately after she was reported missing.

He says this brings "focused attention and significant resources".

Lawson says he's satisfied, given there was no evidence of any crime having occurred at that first report, that it was handled appropriately.

He adds that as days progressed, as would be normal in any high-risk missing person investigation, "we began to layer in expertise of the senior investigating officer".

Smith is asked about CCTV footage from Iron Bridge to the school.

She says there is no CCTV on that main road, which is why police are appealing for dashcam footage.

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Police decline to give more detail on Bulley's vulnerabilities

A reporter asks for more information about what Bulley's partner told police about her "vulnerabilities", and why she was labelled as high risk. (This detail came out near the beginning of the press conference, which we reported here.)

Smith says it's "normal" in an investigation to gather as much information as possible, but declines to give details. Instead she urges reporters to "respect the family, who are going through unimaginable pain".

She's also asked how confident she is that Bulley will be found alive, to which she responds: "I hope with all my heart that we'll find Nicola Bulley alive."

She says the likelihood is that Bulley entered the river, but stresses she can't be 100% certain about that.

Anyone with relevant information on the investigation can submit it via Lancashire Police's website, Lawson says, who's talking again now.

He opens the floor up to questions.

PA Media

Police appeal for family's privacy

Smith's saying more about Bulley's family now.

She says while they have shared that there are specific individual vulnerabilities today, she appeals for respect for the family's privacy.

Smith says that "speculation and rumour" has been affecting Bulley's family, adding that the family "are kept regularly updated" with the progress of the investigation.

She adds that she can assure the public the case has been "thoroughly investigated, no differently than any other major investigation, from the outset".

Glove found not relevant to investigation - police

Addressing a report today in the Sun newspaper, Smith says a glove has been recovered but this is not relevant to the investigation and does not belong to Bulley.

"TikTokers have been playing their own private detectives and have been in the area," she says.

She discounts a theory that CCTV around a caravan site hasn't been working and says that isn't the case. She also says police have been helped and assisted by caravan owners.

Smith turns now to reports of fishermen seen in the area the morning Bulley vanished.

She says she doesn't find this suspicious, and there was some suggestion one fisherman attempted to cover his face.

They have made appeals for fishermen to come forward and got in touch with local angling clubs, she adds.

Police have checked CCTV and they haven't been able to trace fishermen in the area, but they are still looking to find them, Smith says.

Police address misinformation being spread

Smith describes false information and rumours that have been spreading about the investigation.

She refers to a derelict house near the river and says it's been searched three times, but that Bulley was not there.

She refers to a red van that has been reported by witnesses, and says efforts to track it down are ongoing, but that she does not believe it to be suspicious.