An inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley starts today (Image: Family handout)
An inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley will begin later on Monday in court hearings expected to last for two days. The 45-year-old mortgage adviser went missing while taking her dog for a walk along the River Wyre in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire. The inquest is due to start at County Hall in Preston before Dr James Adeley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire, at 10am.
Here is everything we know so far in the tragic case.
Nicola goes missing
At 8.26am on January 27, Ms Bulley left her home with her two daughters, aged six and nine, dropping them off at school and chatting with another parent about 15 minutes later.
She then took her spaniel, Willow, for a walk along the path by the River Wyre from 8.43am. Seven minutes later a dog walker who knew Ms Bulley saw her and they spoke briefly before parting ways.
At 8.53am she sent an email to her boss, followed by a message to her friends six minutes later. She later logged on to a Microsoft Teams work call.
The last known sighting of Ms Bulley by a second witness came at 9.10am.
Ten minutes later her phone was back in the area of a bench before the Teams call ended 10 minutes later, with her mobile remaining logged on after the call.
At 9.33am another dog walker found her phone on a bench beside the river with her dog darting between the two.
Ms Bulley’s family and the school attended by her children were told about her disappearance at 10.50am. Police are called in and she is deemed a “high risk” missing person.
Ms Bulley’s partner Paul Ansell (Image: PA)
A private search team on the river (Image: Getty)
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Police search an area by the river (Image: Getty)
Mounted police take part in the search operation (Image: Getty)
Huge search operation launched
Nicola Bulley: Full timeline of events, clues and questions over desperate search
The search for missing mum Nicola Bulley, 45, is ongoing after she went missing on January 27 in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire. Express.co.uk has put together a full timeline of events since she disappeared, and all the information known about what might have happened.
Read more HERE.
The next day Lancashire Constabulary deployed drones, helicopters and police search dogs as part of the major missing person operation.
Around 100 locals meet in the village hall the next day to organise a search party. The police urge caution, describing the river and its banks as “extremely dangerous”.
Police hold the first press conference on January 30 with Superintendent Sally Riley from Lancashire Constabulary saying officers were “keeping a really open mind about what could have happened”, and that they were not treating Ms Bulley’s disappearance as suspicious.
The next day Ms Bulley’s family releases a statement saying they had been “overwhelmed by the support” in their community, and her daughters were “desperate to have their mummy back home safe”.
A search team launches a boat into the River Wyre (Image: Getty)
Police walk past the bench in the area where Ms Bulley’s phone was found (Image: Getty)
Nicola’s parents speak of their horror
Ms Bulley’s parents, Ernest and Dot Bulley, tell the Daily Mirror of the “horror” they face over the possibility of never seeing their daughter again.
On February 2, officers from the North West Police Underwater and Marine support unit start to search the area close to where Ms Bulley’s mobile phone was found.
The next day Lancashire Police said it was working on the theory Ms Bulley may have fallen into the River Wyre.
Supt, Riley urged against speculation, but said it was “possible” that an “issue” with Ms Bulley’s dog may have led her to the water’s edge.
Doubts over police theory
Ms Bulley’s friend, Emma White, cast doubt on the police theory she fell into a river, telling Sky News it was based on “limited information”.
In a Facebook post, Ms Bulley’s sister Louise Cunningham urged people to “keep an open mind” as there was “no evidence whatsoever” her sister fell in the river.
On February 5, Peter Faulding, leader of underwater search experts Specialist Group International (SGI), began three days of searching the river after being called in by Ms Bulley’s family – but nothing was found.
The next day Ms Bulley’s partner, Paul Ansell, in a statement released through Lancashire Police, said: “It’s been 10 days now since Nicola went missing and I have two little girls who miss their mummy desperately and who need her back.”
Tributes to Ms Bulley tied to a bridge over the Wyre (Image: Getty)
Online speculation increases
On February 10, police urged people to refrain from indulging in commentary and conspiracy theories about Ms Bulley’s disappearance as speculation increases online.
Five days later police hold a press conference and reveal Ms Bulley was classed as a “high-risk” missing person immediately after she was reported missing due to “vulnerabilities”.
They later “clarify” the vulnerabilities and disclosed Ms Bulley’s struggles with alcohol and perimenopause.
A day later, in a statement released through Lancashire Police, Ms Bulley’s family said the focus had become “distracted from finding Nikki, and more about speculation and rumours into her private life” and called for that to end.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman demanded an “explanation” over the disclosure of Ms Bulley’s private information by the force after growing criticism of the move.
Police launch internal review
On February 17, Lancashire Police announced it was conducting an internal review into the handling of Ms Bulley’s disappearance.
The Information Commissioner said he would ask the force questions about its disclosure.
The next day, Ms Braverman met with police leaders to discuss the handling of the investigation.
It came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also expressed “concerns” about the revelations into Ms Bulley’s private life.
Ms Bulley’s body is found
On February 19 at 2.32pm, Lancashire Police reveals a body has been found in the river after it was called earlier that day at 11.36am to an area of the River Wyre, about a mile from where Ms Bulley first disappeared.
The force confirmed a day later that the body was identified as Ms Bulley.
In a statement, Ms Bulley’s family said she was “the centre of our world”.
An inquest into the death of Nicola Bulley begins at County Hall, Preston, on Monday (June 26).
