A heartbreaking final picture of Nicola Bulley captured the mum-of-two getting into a car with her children for the school run less than an hour before she died.

The 45-year-old was photographed on the family’s Ring doorbell camera with her partner Paul Ansell and their two daughters as they jumped into her Mercedes.

She can be seen wearing a long black coat, jogging bottoms and boots with her hair tied in a ponytail in the image shown in evidence at the inquest into her death yesterday.

Senior coroner Dr James Adeley concluded that she died after accidentally falling into a river in St Michaels on Wyre, Lancashire in January this year.

He ruled that Nikki, as her family requested her to be known, died ‘almost immediately’ after entering the water having suffered ‘cold water shock’.

Dr Adeley ruled out suicide or any third-party involvement and confirmed her medical cause of death was drowning.

The last picture of Nikki was recorded at 8.26am as the family left the house before she dropped her girls, aged six and nine, at school and then took her spaniel, Willow, for a walk along the path by the River Wyre.

Nikki interacted with a number of other dog walkers, sent an email to her boss and a message to her friends before logging on to a Microsoft Teams work call at 9.01am – with the meeting still connected when her phone was later found on a bench near the river.

Her last known sighting by a witness was at 9.10am, but her Fitbit watch detected a significant spike in her heart rate at 9.22am, which is when Nikki likely entered the water, according to Dr Adeley.

While unable to determine exactly how or why Nikki ended up in the water, Dr Adeley said: ‘On January 27 at around 9.22am Nicola Jane Bulley fell into the River Wyre and died almost immediately.’

After she disappeared, Nikki, who worked as a mortgage advisor, was reported missing within hours and a major search operation was launched.

Police were forced to urge people not to speculate about the case as hundreds of online sleuths tried to piece together what happened as press coverage swirled.

Three weeks later, on February 19, Nikki’s body was found in the river around one mile downstream from where she was last known to have been. 

Her family said they had continued to receive ‘negative targeted messages’ as well as seeing ‘wildly inaccurate speculation’ on a number of platforms months after her death.

Reading a statement on behalf of the family outside County Hall, Preston, Terry Wilcox, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: ‘The last few months have been extremely tough to process for our family. 

‘The emotional impact will stay long in our hearts and whilst we will never forget the loss of our Nikki, we will forever remember her as a brilliant mum, partner, daughter and sister that we all knew and loved so very much.

‘The help and support we have received over these past few months has meant more than words can say. From family and friends to complete strangers across the country and the world, thank you.

‘Nikki and Paul’s girls have already taken great comfort in the deeply thoughtful gifts sent to them in goodwill and in time they will read the many cards that are filled with such kindness and love.

‘Sadly, we feel the need to again raise and address the issue of social media. It’s upsetting that we’ve continued to receive negative targeted messages and still wildly inaccurate speculation being shared on numerous platforms.’

He urged the public to ‘ignore any amateur views and opinions, and be mindful of the impact words bring’ when discussing Nicola’s death.

Mr Wilcox added: ‘We encourage people to look at the facts, the evidence which has been heard during the inquest, and the conclusion reached by the coroner.

‘To ignore any amateur views and opinions, and be mindful of the impact words bring. We now need to be allowed time to comprehend all of the events leading up to this day.

‘We ask that you all respect our privacy at this time, to let us rebuild and take time to heal.’

Lancashire Constabulary’s head of crime, detective chief superintendent Pauline Stables, said: ‘I want to start by saying that first and foremost my thoughts today are with Nikki’s family and loved ones.

‘They have been through the most unimaginable ordeal over the last six months and I can only hope that this inquest will help in some small way by answering some of the questions they had about what happened to Nikki on January 27, and will allow them to start the process of rebuilding their lives as best as they can.

‘I would like to thank Dr Adeley for his careful consideration of the evidence presented to this inquest as well as legal counsel, and all of the witnesses for their participation.

‘I hope that His Majesty’s Coroner’s clear and definitive findings will put an end to ill-informed speculation and conspiracy theories which have been so damaging to Nikki’s family and the community of St Michael’s.

‘I would like to finish by bringing this back to Nikki. She was clearly a much-loved mum, partner, daughter, sister and friend.

‘I would once again express my deepest sympathy to all her loved ones and I would ask that their privacy is respected at this time to allow them the time and space to rebuild and to heal.’

Nikki’s partner Mr Ansell paid a touching tribute to her and said he believes she went to put a harness on the dog shortly before she fell into the River Wyre. 

Mr Ansell told the inquest: ‘She was still listening to that meeting, so I think she must have maybe put the phone on the bench and gone to put the harness back on Willow.’

On the day, he also sent her a text message saying: ‘Have you got lost?’ when she did not return.

He added: ‘Nikki was an incredible mum, she was an amazing mum.’

The family’s lawyer, reading a statement, said: ‘She adored nothing more than a walk with Willow in the countryside or a family walk in the hills followed by a nice meal out.’

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