A body found in the River Wyre has been identified as missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, police have said.
The body was found on Sunday morning around a mile from where the 45-year-old mortgage adviser was last seen.
In a media briefing this evening Lancashire Constabulary said: "This is not the outcome any of us would have wanted."
Nicola's family say they are "devastated", adding that she was “the centre of our world”.
In a statement read out on behalf of Nicola's partner Paul, police added: "We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments and that will never leave us.
Police have confirmed that a body found in the River Wyre is missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley
PA
"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.
"And it saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family.
"This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable this cannot happen to another family."
Taking aim at specific parts of the media, the family singled out Sky News and ITV, adding: "We tried last night to take in what we had been told in the day, only to have Sky News and ITV making contact with us directly when we expressly asked for privacy.
"They again, have taken it upon themselves to run stories about us to sell papers and increase their own profiles. "It is shameful they have acted in this way. Leave us alone now."
Nicola had been walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school on January 27.
Police have been searching for Nicola Bulley following her disappearance on January 27
Owen Humphreys
Her body was found on a stretch of the river just past a slight bend - around a mile outside the village - close to where a tree had fallen on its side.
On Sunday, officers cordoned off the lane while police divers were called in, but the road was reopened around three hours later once the body was recovered.
The investigation into the mum's disappearance has attracted widespread speculation as well as criticism of the police response.
Officers came under fire after making Nicola's struggles with alcohol and perimenopause public three weeks after she vanished.
