Updates from inquest into Nicola Bulley's death

The inquest into the death of mother-of-two Nicola Bulley it stoday getting under way (Monday June 26). Ms Bulley, 45, vanished after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school, then taking her usual dog walk along the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire, on January 27.

Her phone, still connected to a work Teams call, was found on a bench overlooking the water. Ms Bulley, a mortgage adviser originally from near Chelmsford but living in Inskip, was immediately deemed a “high risk” missing person, sparking a huge police search operation, with hundreds of local search volunteers and intense media and public interest.

Private underwater search specialists were also called in by her family amid a conspiratorial social media frenzy fuelling waves of sightseers and content creators visiting the scene. Both police and media faced criticism after her body was found in the river around a mile farther downstream from the bench, on February 19.

As the days passed and speculation continued online, Lancashire Police revealed Ms Bulley had struggled with alcohol and perimenopause. This prompted widespread criticism for disclosing her personal information, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak questioned about the police approach and the force facing investigation.

The inquest, expected to last two days, is taking place at the County Hall, Preston, before Dr James Adeley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire.