inquiry yesterday. he was asked was he more cautious, 7 inquiry yesterday. he was asked was he more cautious,? l inquiry yesterday. he was asked was he more cautious,?_ he more cautious,? i continued to re'ect he more cautious,? i continued to reject your — he more cautious,? i continued to reject your characterisation - he more cautious,? i continued to reject your characterisation of - he more cautious,? i continued to reject your characterisation of this as overreaction, because that implies that i thought the action should not happen. what i thought should not happen. what i thought should happen is that people should be aware that without action very serious things would occur, but the downsides of those actions should be made transparent. i don't consider thatis made transparent. i don't consider that is incorrect, and i don't think... sir patrick was in a sense seeing exactly that, the advice we gave was identical, but the debate we had about this was how do we get the balance of these clearly in front of people. that is an appropriate thing to do. earlier we heard the findings of independent review of lancashire police's handling of nicola bulley. her body was found three weeks after she vanished, injanuary. connor concluded she drowned after accidentally falling into a river stop our north of england correspondence was covering that news conference. bring us up to date. many people will remember nicola bulley from earlier this year. a picture is everywhere for about three weeks at the end of january and into february. she disappeared on a river bank. she sort of vanished from the river bank, her phone was found on the bench with a work call still connected, also her dog wandering around off its lead, but no trace of nicola bulley. police in lancashire quickly concluded on the working assumption she had fallen into the river and drowned but there is a three week period between her disappearing and body being found, there is a lot of speculation, particularly online, but what had happened to her. it was described today as global social media frenzy that could have been avoided by a private briefing to journalists at the beginning of her disappearance to explain perhaps her personal situation and background, the fact she was a high risk vulnerable person, perhaps then they would not have been all that attention on why this person should suddenly disappear. but it was the release of sensitive personal information to the end of that period that was particularly controversial. and despite being lawful, the report says, it was ultimately unavoidable and unnecessary. at the time it talked about sensitive and personal medical information about nicola bulley, issues she was having with the menopause, the fact she had struggles with alcohol, there was a huge outcry across the country about why this information is not released at the time. the commission ruled that they understood in the ticket no further action as to why that happened after the investigators, but this report says that was avoidable and unnecessary. the entire nicola bulley thing was a missing persons inquiry thatjust blew up out of all proportion. the strongest criticism in today's report is the way the police can be located with journalists and the public throughout this process, that did not help things, lead to increased speculation on social media, and lots of people said horrible things on social media about nicola bulley and her family. it is important to point out that the first points today in the news conference were for the family of nicola bulley at this time, who are facing their first christmas without her coming up in a few weeks' time. what is your sense of it what lessons have been learned, what could have been done differently, in hindsight? the college of policing did this review, interestingly it focuses on the actions of lancashire police, but it looks at what could be learned for every other police force in the uk for best practice going forward. there are one or two things they are, one or two questions in a press conference at the time we at police did not answer the question correctly, dc with hindsight that should have been collected almost immediately to give people the correct information. perhaps we should get back to a system that existed in the uk ten or 12 years ago, where if there was a big story, senior police officers would take to journalists to one side of the beginning of it and give them an off the record briefing about details, background to the case, to give a bit more context, that would then influence how big the story will eventually be. i think if there was an off the record briefing given to journalists at the beginning of all of this, when nicola bulley first went missing, we perhaps should not be standing here today, but the events surrounding her disappearance would not have had as much publicity as she did. because she was on the front page of actually every newspaper in the uk on and off for three weeks that she was missing. every time there was a development it was a headline story. there is an update online on any of the newspaper sites, hundreds of thousands, if not noise of people we click onto it. there was one day where there were 6000 articles written about nicola bulley. this was a woman who tragically was a missing person, who had fallen in the river accidentally, yet we had all these conspiracy theories about what else could have happened to her. that, ithink what else could have happened to her. that, i think today's report says, was ultimately unavoidable, if communications between police, journalists and the public had been better at the time. a police search has been launched forfour teenagers a police search has been launched for four teenagers who have a police search has been launched forfour teenagers who have been missing since sunday morning. it's believed they had gone camping. the four boys have been named. they were last seen in a silver ford fiesta. mountain rescue teams and coastguard have been searching the area, north wales police appeal for any sightings to be reported. more now on the latest on covid—i9 inquiry. we have been hearing from sir chris whitty, the government's chief medical officer, our correspondent has been listening to all of that at the inquiry. take as through what stood out for you in this first stage of his evidence. this was professor sir chris whitty, he took the lead in that role by the end of january— march he took the lead in that role by the end ofjanuary— march 2020 he took the lead in that role by the end of january— march 2020 and responding to the pandemic. he said that there are significant problems, particularly in areas of deprivation, could have been caused by some of the actions that were taken, but he talked specifically about the idea of tensions that sir patrick vallance, government former chief scientific adviser had put through yesterday, he said that those differences were extremely small, he said... i have got a problem with my feet, i am sorry. i will have to come back to you. —— with my feed. just a reminder, professor sir chris whitty giving evidence at the covid—i9 inquiry inquiry, they are on a short recess, expected to be backin on a short recess, expected to be back in a minute or so, he is of course a household name, he gave a lot of those press conferences alongside borisjohnson, then prime minister, during the covid pandemic. he did see at the inquiry this morning, with the benefit of hindsight they went a bit too late during theirfirst hindsight they went a bit too late during their first wave of covid backin during their first wave of covid back in 2020, he wanted to lock down in the middle of march. we will be back with that inquiry shortly. we just want to look at the weather now. whether over the next few days will be mild. friday into the weekend things will turn colder. today, high pressure firmly in charge. whether front sinking south bringing some rain and other men coming in across the north west bringing thicker cloud and some rain as we go through the day. it will remain rather windy across the north west. through the evening and overnight there will be some clear skies and patchy cloud in southern areas for a time, thicker cloud in the north will spill further south. we are expecting more rain to come in, still windy across northern areas. through the night temperatures will rise as the cloud and rain moves southwards. on wednesday this whether front, is a cold front, heralding a change in the weather to something colder as we head towards the latter part of the working week. wednesday, rain across the north, cloud spilling further south, across the north, cloud spilling furthersouth, high across the north, cloud spilling further south, high pressure clinging on across southern areas. here there will be some brighter breaks, especially to the east of the pennines and east anglia and east wales. it will be a mile a day tomorrow, 14 celsius in aberdeen. thursday, the cold front sinks further south taking rain with it. wintry showers at the tops of the scottish mountains, possibly snow to lower levels across the northern isles. cloud further south. you can see the difference in the temperatures. cold airfiltering in across the far north of scotland. through the rest of the weekend, that cold air filters further south through friday and saturday. on sunday it tries to bring in milder airfrom the atlantic sunday it tries to bring in milder air from the atlantic once again. that could still change. on friday we have got northerly and north—westerly wind, that will feel cold, wintry showers coming into the north. and on the east coast as well. but a lot of dry weather. but it will be a blustery day and i cold one, for celsius in aberdeen, ii celsius in st helier. we are waiting for the covered inquiry to resume. they are just taking a short break. professor sir chris whitty has been giving his evidence for 90 minutes, a well—deserved break therefore, yesterday we heard from former chief scientific adviser, sir patrick vallance, he said that the pair had differing views of when to lock down, we have been hearing that this morning. he has told the inquiry that he took the lead in responding to the covid in late january, he dismissed claims that there was tension with professor sir patrick vallance at the time, seeing that any differences in approach were very small, he also urged a lot of care in exaggerating any such differences. let usjust care in exaggerating any such differences. let us just have a look at what happened yesterday. here is at what happened yesterday. here is a review of that evidence yesterday from sir patrick vallance and she looks ahead to what might happen today. he became a familiar face night after night on the covid press conferences, explaining what was happening with the virus. we conferences, explaining what was happening with the virus.- conferences, explaining what was happening with the virus. we will be uuided b happening with the virus. we will be guided by the _ happening with the virus. we will be guided by the science, _ happening with the virus. we will be guided by the science, at _ happening with the virus. we will be guided by the science, at a - happening with the virus. we will be guided by the science, at a swagger| guided by the science, at a swagger following the scientific advice and the minute we are. the government said it would always follow the signs, but sir patrick vallance the top scientific adviser during the pandemic told the inquiry explaining their sights to the prime minister could be tough. the explaining their sights to the prime minister could be tough.— minister could be tough. the prime minister could be tough. the prime minister at the _ minister could be tough. the prime minister at the time _ minister could be tough. the prime minister at the time gave _ minister could be tough. the prime minister at the time gave at - minister could be tough. the prime minister at the time gave at sites i minister at the time gave at sites where he was 15, and i think it would be the first to admit it wasn't his forte, and that he did struggle with some of the concepts, and we did need to repeat them often. there is a problem with scientific understanding, it is not unusual amongst leaders in western democracies. unusual amongst leaders in western democracies-— unusual amongst leaders in western democracies. , , ., . democracies. during the pandemic we saw a lot of sir— democracies. during the pandemic we saw a lot of sir patrick _ democracies. during the pandemic we saw a lot of sir patrick and _ democracies. during the pandemic we saw a lot of sir patrick and the - saw a lot of sir patrick and the chief medical officer, sir chris whitty, together. but he said the reviews were different on the timing of the first lockdown. i reviews were different on the timing of the first lockdown.— of the first lockdown. i think sometimes _ of the first lockdown. i think sometimes i _ of the first lockdown. i think sometimes i would - of the first lockdown. i think sometimes i would want - of the first lockdown. i think sometimes i would want to l of the first lockdown. i think - sometimes i would want to push, and he might not, and sometimes he was right, and sometimes i think we should have gone earlier. this was an occasion where i think it is clear that we should have gone earlier. rishi sunak, the then chancellor, thought his eat out to help out scheme such a good idea, he even helped serve up some of the meals. a £10 incentive to keep the hospital and street —— the hospitality industry going. patrick vallance says scientists were not consulted, the measure boosted the virus. sir chris whitty continuing to give evidence... whilst some of the minutes do provide levels of certainty rating, for example in relation to subject x is high confidence, subject y is low confidence, would you agree that in general terms dissenting opinions on changes of opinion, differences of opinion, were not as a general rule reflected in the minutes? yes. opinion, were not as a general rule reflected in the minutes?— reflected in the minutes? yes. i will make _ reflected in the minutes? yes. i will make one _ reflected in the minutes? yes. i will make one minor— reflected in the minutes? yes. i will make one minor gloss - reflected in the minutes? yes. i will make one minor gloss on i reflected in the minutes? yes. i. will make one minor gloss on what you said. _ will make one minor gloss on what you said. i— will make one minor gloss on what you said, i basically agree with the position _ you said, i basically agree with the uositiou in— you said, i basically agree with the position. in my view this was a central— position. in my view this was a central view, position. in my view this was a centralview, not position. in my view this was a central view, not a consensus view. there _ central view, not a consensus view. there were, — central view, not a consensus view. there were, many discussions, everyone agreed at the end come on a few occasions we said that, in many discussions — few occasions we said that, in many discussions there will still be people — discussions there will still be people at the end of the discussion who said. — people at the end of the discussion who said, they are not sure they completely agree, but they agreed the central view of the meeting was x. the central view of the meeting was x~ that _ the central view of the meeting was x~ that is _ the central view of the meeting was x. that is the core point. i think we got — x. that is the core point. i think we got better, that we should have, from the _ we got better, that we should have, from the beginning, had the discipline or thoroughly of seeing hi-h discipline or thoroughly of seeing high confidence and low confidence. i think_ high confidence and low confidence. i think that — high confidence and low confidence. i think that was a sensible way to do it _ i think that was a sensible way to do it in— i think that was a sensible way to do it. in part, because of lack of time, _ do it. in part, because of lack of time, and — do it. in part, because of lack of time, and in _ do it. in part, because of lack of time, and in part, to actually do this properly,