The 45-year-old went missing at the end of January, leaving her phone on a bench still connected to a work Teams call.

She had been walking her dog after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.

Her disappearance prompted a massive investigation into her whereabouts with Lancashire Constabulary deploying drones, helicopters and police search dogs as part of the major missing person operation.

They were assisted by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, as well as Bowland Pennine mountain rescue team and the North West underwater search team.

Lancashire Police called a press conference on Monday to confirm that Ms Bulley’s bound had been found.

The police did not address the widespread criticism it had received for releasing some aspects of Ms Bulley’s private life into the public domain.

They also did not disclose why it had taken 23 days to find her body in the river.

Speaking at the force’s HQ, Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson described the investigation as “hugely complex and highly emotional”.

Ms Bulley’s family paid tribute to her in a statement. They said: “We love you, always have and always will.

“We will never forget Nikki, how could we, she was the centre of our world, she was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that.

“Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most.”

The family questioned the role of the press during the investigation and accused the media of “misquoting and vilifying” Ms Bulley’s partner, relatives and friends.

“It saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them (Ms Bulley’s children) that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family,” the statement said.

Ms Bulley had had a long career in mortgage advice and financial services.

She worked for Leeds-based Exclusively Mortgages and was CeMap qualified. She had started work at Exclusively Mortgages in Preston early in 2022, according to her LinkedIn profile.