Nicola Bulley: Diver Peter Faulding to send sonar images he claims show mum's body to 10 Downing Street

Peter Faulding, CEO of Specialist Group International (SGI), has taken to social media to double-down on his position, after his claims were dismissed by a recent independent review into how the investigation was handled by Lancashire Police.

On X Mr Faulding wrote: "On Tuesday 7th February I found Nicola Bulley on the bottom of the River Wyre using 1800 KHz side scan sonar within six minutes from starting my search.

"The police dive team told me the target was nothing. Sonar targets are not created by nothing, they later changed their statement to say it was a branch."

He added: "The recent @CollegeofPolice review into @LancsPolice debunked my evidence saying that two independent experts have looked at the images but I can confirm that no request to view or scrutinise the live sonar data by police or experts was ever made.

"Absolute confirmation or denial of a target is not possible without using the sonar software tools and therefore a thorough investigation by the College of Policing into my finding was not done.

"The images are clear but the supporting sonar data is irrefutable and undeniable....In the New Year I will be sending my evidence to the @10DowningStreet @ukhomeoffice @JamesCleverly @10DowningStreet"

Mr Faulding’s latest claims contradict previous statements he made that same afternoon (February 7) when he told the media “there was no sign of Nicola” and he did not think she was in the river.

“I categorically confirm that Nicola was not on the river bed, we would have seen her body,” said Mr Faulding the day before Ms Bulley’s body was recovered."

What does the College of Policing have to say?

The College of Policing has been approached for a comment, but they say they have nothing new to add to the external report, which concluded that Mr Faulding had identified tree branches.

The report adds that an independent review of images produced by Mr Faulding's team was carried out by a lecturer from Cranfield University, who states there was "a low probability of confidence for human remains."