Nicola Bulley fundraiser tops £10k in first 24 hours

A fundraiser for the family of Nicola Bulley has surpassed its £10k target – just 24 hours after it was started.

Bulley’s body was pulled from the River Wyre in Lancashire on Sunday, more than three weeks after she was last seen on 27 January.

She had been walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre after dropping her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.

Bulley’s family said they can let the mother of two “rest now”, and a GoFundMe page was set up for her partner, Paul Ansell, and their children on Tuesday.

By early Wednesday afternoon, the total raised stood at nearly £12k – exceeding the £10k target just 24 hours after the page was launched.

The list of donations showed that people donated as much as £500 within the first few hours.

The fundraiser, launched by Bulley’s friends and family, said the money was for funeral planning and “for her and Paul’s little girls’ future”.

Watch: Media watchdog writes to broadcasters over Nicola Bulley concerns

A posting on the page read: “As you can imagine, this is a situation that no one wishes to find themselves in, and we want to help the family through this awful time.

“The hope is that the funds raised will give the family one less worry, and will help Paul and their little girls now and into the future.”

It comes as an inquest into Bulley’s death heard that she was identified by her dental records.

Preston Coroner’s Court was told maxillofacial surgeon Andrew Ian Edwards had examined the 45-year-old’s dental records, which had been obtained by police from her dental surgery.

The hearing, which lasted about five minutes, was not attended by Bulley’s partner or any other family.

In a press conference on Monday, Lancashire Police described the investigation into Bulley’s disappearance as “hugely complex and highly emotional”.

However, it did not address the widespread criticism it had received for releasing some aspects of Bulley’s private life into the public domain.

Police also did not disclose why it took 23 days to find her body in the river.

Bulley’s family said in a statement on Monday that they can let her “rest now” following the discovery of her remains.

They also took aim at the media – singling out Sky News and ITV News – for contacting them despite having “expressly asked for privacy”.

Media watchdog Ofcom has said it is “extremely concerned” by the comments from Bulley’s family and it has written to ITV and Sky “to ask them to explain their actions”.