A 28 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe. The suspect, who is a white British national, is in custody.
A 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire in connection with the murder of Ann Widdecombe. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the suspect is a white British national and is currently being held in custody. The arrest itself did not take place near the scene of the crime. Instead, it happened at an address in South Yorkshire, roughly 270 miles from Widdecombe’s home in Haytor, Devon, where she was found dead.
Police said the operation was carried out by Counter Terrorism Policing North East along with South Yorkshire Police, working on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police, which continues to lead the overall investigation.
What Happened to Widdecombe
Widdecombe, who had served as a Conservative minister before later becoming a justice spokesperson for Reform UK, was discovered with serious injuries at her Devon property at 11:40 BST on Thursday. Investigators believe the attack itself took place close to a full day before she was found.
British PM Keir Starmer reacted to her death by saying “This is really shocking news, and my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this awful time”.
“Ann was a distinguished politician over many, many years with many achievements, and it’s a huge, huge loss,” he added.
An Earlier Arrest That Didn’t Stick
This isn’t the first arrest connected to the case. A 26-year-old man had previously been taken into custody on suspicion of murder, but he was released on Saturday without charge, according to a BBC report.