The “media narrative was lost at an early stage”, but difficult to say how it could have been controlled when social media and armchair detectives become involved.
Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner Andrew Snowden commissioned the College of Policing to review the case – and the force said it had accepted the findings.
The report also said not declaring the investigation a critical incident created “significant challenges” for officers.
It made several conclusions and recommendations for Lancashire Police and wider policing in general.