Overview
- Ann Widdecombe was found dead with severe injuries at her home in Haytor on Thursday, prompting Devon and Cornwall Police to open a murder investigation.
- Police have arrested a 26-year-old white British man who remains in custody on suspicion of murder while detectives say there is no current evidence of a terrorism or political motive.
- Officers have sealed the property, deployed forensic teams and are carrying out house-to-house inquiries as they ask the public for CCTV, doorbell and dashcam footage from the Haytor Vale area.
- Senior politicians and Widdecombe’s management expressed shock and grief, officials said the family is being protected from contact and they urged the public not to speculate.
- Widdecombe was a long-serving Conservative MP who later served as an MEP and Reform UK spokeswoman, and the case could prompt fresh scrutiny of the safety of high-profile figures while the Force Major Crime team seeks evidence that could lead to charges.