London, Thanasis Gavos

The British are anxiously awaiting the identification of the body of a woman who was found on Sunday about one and a half kilometers away from the area where Nicola Bouley, a mother of two, disappeared on January 27.

The disappearance of the 45-year-old from St Michael’s on Wyre in Lancashire, NW England, while walking her dog on the banks of the River Wyre, has attracted national attention over the past three weeks.

The body was discovered by a couple who were also in the area to walk their dog. A large police operation followed with the site being cordoned off.

Lancashire’s local police headquarters have said only that the body has not been formally identified.

Nicola Bouley’s partner, Paul Ansell, said on Sunday night that the whole family was in distress.

From the beginning, the police theory was that the 45-year-old fell into the river and was swept away. Investigators have, however, come under fire for revealing in updates on the investigations that the missing woman had problems with alcohol abuse due to difficulties coping with menopause.