Police have confirmed a body found in the River Wyre is that of Nicola Bulley, bringing a three-week long search to an end.

The 45-year-old mortgage adviser vanished in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, while walking her dog after dropping her daughters at school on January 27.

In a statement today, Lancashire Police confirmed the heartbreaking news that the body discovered yesterday was that of Ms Bulley.

"Sadly, we are now able to confirm that yesterday, we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre," the spokesperson said.

"Nicola's family have been informed and are, of course, devastated.

"Our thoughts are with them at this time as well as with all her loved ones and the wider community.

"We recognise the huge impact that Nicola's disappearance has had on her family and friends.

"We would like to thank all of those who have helped during what has been a hugely complex and high emotional investigation."

The news brings to a close the efforts of officers over the past 24 days to locate the mother-of-two, who vanished while walking her dog along the River Wyre more than three weeks ago.

Nicola had been walking the family dog, Willow, along a path by the river when she was last seen by a fellow dog walker at around 9.10am.

Ms Bulley walked along the path by the River Wyre at 8.43am and was seen by a fellow dog walker, who knew her.

She went on to send an email to her boss and logged into a Teams conference call for her job as a mortgage adviser.

She was last seen by another dog walker at around 9.10am and about 25 minutes later her phone was found on a bench overlooking the water, still connected to the call, along with the dog lead and harness on the ground.

Detectives had been working on the hypothesis that Ms Bulley had fallen into the river and did not believe her disappearance to be suspicious.

Yesterday, officers involved in the search confirmed they had "sadly recovered a body" but warned no formal identification had taken place.

They said at the time: "An underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body.

"No formal identification has yet been carried out, so we are unable to say whether this is Nicola Bulley at this time.

"Procedures to identify the body are ongoing.

"We are currently treating the death as unexplained.

"Nicola’s family have been informed of developments and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. We ask that their privacy is respected."