Nicola Bulley police chief’s cause of death revealed after he died suddenly
The assistant chief constable suddenly died aged just 50 at home.
The cause of death of a Lancashire Police chief who helped lead the high profile search for Nicola Bulley has been revealed.
Assistant chief constable Peter Lawson died suddenly at the age of just 50 at home on Sunday.
He played a prominent role in the investigation after Ms Bulley disappeared in January this year and led press conferences for the case which drew widespread national interest.
The well-respected officer also provided evidence to the Manchester Arena terror attack inquiry.
His death was originally said to be ‘medical-related’, but the force has now confirmed that Mr Lawson died from ‘natural causes’.
A police spokesman said: ‘Following the tragic death of assistant chief constable Peter Lawson at the weekend, His Majesty’s senior coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen has reviewed the circumstances.
‘It has now been established that Peter died from natural causes and funeral arrangements will be made in due course.
‘His Majesty’s senior coroner has confirmed there is no requirement for an inquest.
‘Our deepest condolences once again go out to Peter’s family, and we will support them as much as we can. Our thoughts are with them and everyone who knew Peter.
‘We will continue to offer support to all our staff and those who worked with Peter, as we mourn his loss.’
Mr Lawson was described by chief constable Chris Rowley as an ‘outstanding officer’ who ‘served the communities of Lancashire with pride’.
‘This is incredibly sad and tragic news,’ ch con Rowley said on Sunday. ‘Pete’s death will come as a shock to the entire force and the wider police family across the country.
‘He was highly respected and admired by all who knew him and worked with him.
‘We will offer support to all our staff and those who worked with Pete, as we mourn his loss.’
After starting his career in Preston, Mr Lawson became assistant chief constable of Lancashire Police in 2019 and went on to assist in high-profile events from sporting occasions to protests.
Alongside his colleague Rebecca Smith, he was the public face of the inquiry when Ms Bulley vanished while walking her dog in St Michael’s on Wyre on January 27.
The mum-of-two Ms Bulley was found dead in the River Wyre 23 days later on February 19.
Her disappearance caused a frenzy of speculation on social media and thousands of people decided to get involved with the search themselves.
A review into the handling of the case criticised police for ‘insufficient focus’ and said the force lost control of the public narrative at an early stage, despite handling the missing person investigation well.
The 143-page report from the College of Policing, which offered 17 recommendations, said there were errors of judgement from senior officers who ‘observed but did not act’, and questioned the culture of the force.
It also said sharing Ms Bulley’s health details was ‘avoidable and unnecessary’, while a diver involved in the search ’caused challenges to the investigation’.
Her death was ruled an accident after she fell into cold water, a coroner concluded at an inquest in June.
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