Overview
- Police discovered Ann Widdecombe dead with serious injuries at her Haytor Vale home on Friday and immediately opened a homicide probe led by the Major Crime Investigation Team.
- Officers set up a cordon, carried out forensic searches, collected CCTV and doorbell footage, and appealed for dashcam and witness footage from the local area.
- Detectives initially sought a white male person of interest and then arrested a 26-year-old in Newton Abbot hours after the discovery.
- Antiterrorism specialists were consulted early in the inquiry and investigators say there is currently no evidence the killing was politically motivated or linked to terrorism, while urging the public to avoid speculation.
- Widdecombe was a high-profile former Conservative MP and Brexit-era MEP whose death has prompted cross-party shock, family condolences, and continued police appeals for information as the investigation proceeds.