DORSET’s former police and crime commissioner Martyn Underhill has said police have ‘completely destroyed’ Nicola Bulley’s reputation by revealing her struggles with alcohol.

Mr Underhill, a former detective and PCC between 2012 and 2021, spoke to Sky News in which he said the level of detail released by Lancashire Police was a level he had never seen before.

His comments came after police revealed they had classified Ms Bulley as ‘high risk’ owing to ‘a number of specific vulnerabilities’.

Lancashire Police subsequently issued a statement in which they said Nicola had suffered with ‘significant issues with alcohol’.

Mr Underhill told Sky News he didn’t understand the timing of the release.

He said: “There were various ways they could have said that without completely damaging Nicola’s reputation, to be frank. You have to ask why are they doing it now? If they had done it on day one it would have completely changed the dynamic and the coverage of this story.

“I’m confused why they’ve done what they’ve done now. You can understand why some people are saying it's victim blaming to protect their own reputation.

“I can't see how it progresses the case any further forward now we're three weeks in.”

Mr Underhill, now a lecturer at Bournemouth University, added that the case had ‘constantly led back to alleged mistakes by the police themselves’.

Ms Bulley was last seen at 9.10am on 27 January taking her usual route with her springer spaniel Willow, alongside the River Wyre.

Her phone, still connected to a work call, was found just over 20 minutes later on a bench overlooking the riverbank, with her dog running loose.

Mr Underhill’s comments were parter of wider condemnation of Lancashire Police’s disclosure with senior politicians saying the force were ‘assisting those wishing to victim-blame’.

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Twitter: “I am deeply uncomfortable with the police releasing Nicola Bulley’s so-called ‘vulnerabilities’ on menopause and alcohol.

“I struggle to ascertain how this will assist police in their search & investigations. I do see how it would assist those wishing to victim-blame or diminish.”

The Echo has approached Martyn Underhill for comment.