A "psychic medium" who lives in Oldham has explained how he reported discovering the body which was identified as that of Nicola Bulley's in the River Wyre.

Jason Rothwell stated in a Facebook post that he and a friend came across the body and that he felt he needed to provide "clarity" on the situation due to a number of private enquires and threads now circulating on social media, according to Metro.

In the post, Mr Rothwell said he was the person pictured standing near the river around the time the body was spotted and that himself and a friend reported it to police.

The body, which was found on Sunday, was confirmed to be that of mum-of-two Ms Bulley's on Monday (February 20).

He thanked Lancashire Police for how they treated the pair, saying "spiritualists or mediums are obviously not something the police come across every day".

Mr Rothwell stated he was not asked by police or Ms Bulley's family to get involved in the case, but decided to use what he described as the "gift" he feels mediums possess to help find Ms Bulley.

He offered his thoughts and prayers to the family and loved ones of Ms Bulley, before adding he will not be providing any further information.

The area in St Michael's on Wyre had been been the focus of a major search operation since Ms Bulley, 45, went missing on January 27 while walking her dog.