Nicola Bulley search dive expert issues scathing response to bombshell claims in BBC documentary

Diving specialist Peter Faulding, of Specialist Group International, has responded to claims he caused "unwarranted stress" to the family of Nicola Bulley, during the search in January 2023

A dive expert who helped in the search for Nicola Bulley has gone on the attack against the BBC after claims were made in a documentary last night.

In January 2023, the mother and businesswoman was reported missing after she had dropped her children at school and taken her dog for a walk. Her disappearance sparked intense media attention as a huge search was launched in St Michael’s on Wyre, in Lancashire.

Tragically, Bulley's body was found more than three weeks later in the River Wyre, one mile downstream from where she had been believed to have gone missing, where her phone had been found on a bench and her dog abandoned. Last night, the BBC aired a documentary, The Search for Nicola Bulley.

With attention falling back on the original search, diving specialist Peter Faulding found himself under fire in November 2023 when a review into the handling of the search implied he had "caused unwarranted distress and false alarm" to her family. This morning he released a lengthy statement, going into detail the search for Nicola - including when he was told a signature was “nothing”. It turned out to be the mum of two.

Mr Faulding wrote: “The reasons for this statement are to reveal the full truth about my search, answering some of the vital outstanding questions in this case and to protect and rebuild the excellent professional reputation that underpins who I am as a person and my highly regarded company, Specialist Group International (SGI).

“[On Tuesday, February ] we were tasked to searched in the non-tidal section of the River Wyre above the weir in an area I would class as the ‘hot zone’. From experience, if Nicola had entered the water here, this is the area where she would most likely be found. My team and I commenced the search at 10.28am and 6 minutes later, at 10.34am, I identified a significant target that appeared, from my experience, to take human form. This target was approximately 75 metres downstream from the bench, just south of the island in the river.

“Later, the NWUSU advised us the target was found to be ‘nothing’. This baffled me deeply as I am not usually wrong when I locate a target, especially a body showing a clear signature. Sonar shadows cannot be created by ‘nothing’. At 16.30pm that day, we discreetly rescanned the same area which showed the same target in the same location. Having worked closely with police and police dive teams for many years, I had nothing but respect for them and instinctive trust in their ability and had no reason to doubt their findings.

“Although I thought I had found a very credible target, I conceded maybe I was wrong and later that afternoon I made a statement to the media saying that there was no sign of Nicola and I did not think she was in the river. The following morning, I made a request to the Lancashire Police Search Adviser we re-scan the same area that the target was located. My request was refused, being told once again the target area was clear.”

A 143-page report following the review, commissioned by the Lancashire police and crime commissioner, Andrew Snowden, suggested Faulding had contributed to public confusion over Bulley's disappearance and the search relating to her. It revealed: “his public statements often contradicted the investigative and operational approach, leading to confusion for the public and reducing the family’s trust in the investigation and search operation”.

After the report was published last year, Faulding hit back to defend himself - revealing he found Bulley's body within minutes of getting into the water after he started a private search for her.

The BBC's new documentary has the support of Bulley's family, who were involved in the making of the special and said in a statement: “Only we can speak about her as a mummy, partner, daughter and sister. In addition, if our experience of being in the eye of a media storm makes people think twice about how they act and what they say online, then we will have achieved some further good.”