British police arrest 28-year-old suspect in murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe
A 28-year-old man was arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of murdering former politician Ann Widdecombe, whose death earlier this week shocked the UK.
British police arrested a 28-year-old man late on Saturday on suspicion of murdering former MP and former reality-TV contestant Ann Widdecombe. The arrest was made in South Yorkshire, more than 200 miles from the Devon village where Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday.
Devon and Cornwall Police said detectives are working at a significant pace and do not consider the public to be at risk. Counter-terrorism officers assisted with the operation, but officials said there is no indication the case is terrorism-related.
Widdecombe, 78, was discovered in her isolated home near Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park with serious injuries. Police believe she was attacked around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday after she failed to appear for a scheduled television interview.
Earlier, a 26-year-old man arrested near the scene was released from the investigation. Security measures for politicians have been heightened following the murders of MPs Jo Cox in 2016 and David Amess in 2021.
"We can’t identify, from our data, any individual who appeared to be targeting her," said Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, after his party searched its email archives for abuse patterns.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the death as shocking news, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch expressed difficulty finding words to comment.
Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, held ministerial posts, and later appeared on television programmes such as "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Celebrity Big Brother." She later joined the Brexit Party and Reform UK, remaining a frequent media presence.