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A lonely field. A dog left all alone. A missing woman. Now, a body found in a rural river. 

It sounds like the plot of a television drama. It is not. It is a real-life tragedyAn event that causes a huge amount of suffering and sadness. for one family. 

On Friday 27 January, 45-year-old Nicola Bulley took her dog for a walk by a river in Lancashire, England. 

She never returned. Then, yesterday, a body was found in the river by police. 

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As many as 170,000 people go missing in Britain every year. Most people never hear their names.

But for three weeks, Nicola Bulley's picture was printed on the front page of newspapers. Thousands of people talked about the case online - discussing what may have happened. Some even visited the field where she went missing.

Last week, the police were criticised after sharing details about her private life. They asked people to stop making guesses about what had happened to her. But some say releasing the information only made the problem worse.

Yes! Gossip can sometimes be harmful. People sharing ideas about Nicola Bulley online may have accidentally shared false facts. Some may also have upset her family and friends.

No! It is natural for humans to want to share information and talk about events. It helps people to understand them. Gossip is part of human history and human life.