The Nicola Bulley case has exposed deep flaws in UK policing

Editorial: There have been too many revelations during these inquiries and elsewhere about everyday, casual, institutional misogyny on a scale that is difficult to comprehend

It seems all too easy for the police to forget that there are two daughters, family, friends and loved ones who are also part of this story – as well as Bulley herself (PA)

The disappearance of Nicola Bulley at some point between around 9.10am and 9.20am on Friday 27 January has caused grievous suffering to her family, demanded substantial police resources, and seized the attention of the nation.

As with many missing person cases, there are particular challenges and frustrations that form an inevitable part of such an investigation. However, it is fair to say that the way the Lancashire Constabulary has conducted itself over the past traumatic three weeks hasn’t inspired confidence, and has instead, once again, raised troubling broader questions about the way the police view the safety of women.

It seems clear now that the flow of information provided by the Lancashire force about Nicola has been unsatisfactory, both from an operational standpoint and from a “comms” point of view. The late release of sensitive personal details about alcohol use “brought on by the menopause” can only have added to what Nicola’s partner Paul Ansell describes as their “unprecedented hell”.