Overview
- Former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe was found dead at her Haytor home with serious injuries, a discovery police say was made on Thursday and which prompted the force to treat the death as a suspected murder.
- Devon and Cornwall Police opened a major murder investigation and have kept a cordon in place while specialist officers carry out forensic examinations, house-to-house enquiries and CCTV checks.
- A 26-year-old white British man was arrested on Friday on suspicion of murder at an address in Newton Abbot but was released on Saturday and is no longer part of the investigation.
- Police have told the public there is currently no information to suggest the death was terrorism or politically motivated and have set up a Major Incident Public Portal and asked anyone with footage or information to come forward.
- Tributes have come from across the political spectrum and Widdecombe’s team, who have asked for privacy, and the case has renewed questions about the safety of public figures as investigators continue to pursue leads.