The death of a mother of two from Blackburn who was 'happiest' when with her children has been ruled as a suicide, an inquest has heard.

Molly Kelly McDade, 25, of Hereford Road, was found dead at her address on Friday, October 6, after her family had become concerned after not hearing from her in a while.

Lancashire Police officers were called to the address to investigate whether there were any suspicious circumstances involved in Molly's death, of which they concluded there were not.

They found no signs of forced entry, but located pages of notes implying her intended actions.

Blackburn Town Hall heard how a few years before her death, Molly had been diagnosed with autism and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), two neuro-divergent conditions.

Molly had struggled with the diagnoses, and also battled with substance abuse for many years, mainly alcohol.

The court heard how she was upset when both of her children needed to move in with her mother, Margaret Allen, due to these struggles.

In a statement, Margaret told the court: "When Molly was younger she got in with a bad crowd and that is when her alcohol and substance abuse began.

"She started to get her life back on track after her son came to live with me, and wanted to get her family back. She was happy in a new relationship."

In the past, Molly was referred to substance abuse services from her GP and court services, including Spark, but she rejected the referrals.

But when her relationship began to break down in the summer of 2023, the court heard how Molly relapsed into abusing alcohol again.

A statement from Molly's ex-partner, Zeshan Abbasi, said: "Molly was always the happiest when she was with me and her children.

"We had known each other for seven years. She was heartbroken at losing her children but never spoke out much about her mental health."

Molly's family told the court that she never expressed thoughts of suicide or self harm, but became stressed when she was due to appear at Blackpool Magistrates Court later that month.

Coroner Janine Wolstenholme recorded a conclusion of death as suicide, after the court was told her cause of death was hanging.

She said: "The two people that mattered most to Molly were clearly her children and losing them affected her mental health a lot.

"I am satisfied from the evidence that Lancashire Police provided that she intended to take her own life.

"This is one of the hardest things to do, but I hope that this conclusion gives you some peace."

If you're struggling with your mental health or are in crisis, you can call Samaritans free of charge on 116 123 - they're available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.