A FORMER police officer took her own life after struggling to cope with “major life events”, an inquest has heard.

Clare Woodall, who ran the Walkies With Woodall dog day care service from her home, in Acaster Malbis, was left devastated by the loss of her husband and parents in the space of a few months in 2015.

The 42-year-old already suffered from anxiety and depression and was unable to get her life back on track after losing her loved ones, and coming home to find one of her dogs had killed another while she had been out.

The inquest, at New Earswick Folk Hall, heard Mrs Woodall took an overdose and died on July 19 this year.

She called her friend the night before she took her own life and told her not to visit.

The next morning, when customers arrived at her home to drop off their pets, they heard dogs barking and, when nobody answered, they called Mrs Woodall’s friend and asked her to check everything was all right.

When her friend arrived, she found the curtains were still closed.

The front door was open and she discovered Mrs Woodall lying on her bed surrounded by medication packets.

Police said a note found in her handbag was “well thought out” and left instructions about what should happen to her business, dogs and home.

Rob Turnbull, York’s senior coroner, said: “It was clear she had taken the medication and insulin, and in doing so she intended to end her life, which was indicated by the note she left on the premises.

York Press:

“The conclusion must be that she took her own life.”

Mrs Woodall was a keen cyclist and was a member of the mountain bike club, All The Gear No Idea (ATGNI) She was also part of the ladies mountain biking group MTBchix. In addition, she was heavily involved with SingletrAction and helped the group maintain bike trails at Dalby Forest.

Members of the group had paid glowing tributes after her death, describing her as a larger than life character, who didn’t have a bad bone in her body.