Ann Widdecombe murder latest: Police statement in full as detectives give update on possible motive

Police investigating the murder of Ann Widdecombe said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with her death as they continued to question a 28-year-old British man.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the suspect, a white British national arrested in South Yorkshire, was in police custody and there was no indication his murder was politically motivated.

The former Tory minister was found dead at his home in Haytor, Dartmoor, at around 11.40am on Thursday after suffering serious injuries.

The force said on Saturday they believed Ms Widdecombe was attacked at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, minutes after she texted a Channel 5 producer who was scheduled to appear remotely on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright programme. They have since arrested the 28-year-old British national at an address in the South Yorkshire area on suspicion of murder.

Devon and Cornwall Police deputy chief constable Matt Longman gave an update on the murder investigation and the suspect arrested in connection with her death at a press conference after 11.30am on Sunday.

Here is the full police statement regarding Ann Widdecombe’s murder investigation:

Our investigation into the death of 78-year-old Ann Widdecombe has continued to develop over the last 24 hours.

Shortly after 9pm on Saturday 11 July, a white 28-year-old British man was arrested at an address in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on suspicion of the murder of Ms Widdecombe.

We were supported by officers from North East Counter Terrorism Police and South Yorkshire Police, who made the arrest on behalf of Devon & Cornwall Police.

Ms Widdecombe’s family have been informed of the update and continue to be supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this very difficult time.

At this time, there is no information yet that the incident is a terrorism-related incident. We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder at this time. We maintain the priority of this investigation and Detectives remain open-minded about any possible motive, but there is nothing at this stage to suggest this is politically motivated.

The cordon remains in place as officers continue to investigate the scene and we expect this to be the case over the next few days. The local community can also expect increased police presence to provide reassurance in the coming weeks; However, I can assure you that we do not have any information that indicates a broader threat to the public.

We are grateful to our colleagues in South Yorkshire and they will continue to support us as our investigation continues.

We have received over 120 information reports on our Major Incident Public Portal in the past few days. We thank those who have provided us with their information and ask anyone who has not yet provided us with relevant information to do so as a priority.

We are aware of online and public speculation, particularly regarding motive; I once again urge people not to share or engage in speculation. This is unhelpful and distressing for Ms Widdecombe’s friends and family, and has the potential to harm our investigation.

We recognize that there is a huge appetite for information; However, it is crucial that our investigation progresses and its integrity is maintained. We recognize that there is still a way to go in this situation and that the release of any information will continue to be a decision made on an operational basis.

I would like to thank local communities, the public and the media for their continued support and patience, and I ask that they continue to support us in the next phase of our investigation.

Any relevant information, images or images can be reported via the Major Incident Public Portal. Please follow the link public portal or scan the QR code.

Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.