Ann Widdecombe’s neighbour makes eerie ‘man in hiking clothes’ claim | UK | News

a neighbor Ann Widdecombe He claimed that a man wearing hiking equipment appeared in the middle of the night before his body was found. Former Conservative prisons minister found dead -most house in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday following serious injuries.

Detectives initially believed the former politician, who switched from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, died as a result of a fall. Devon and Cornwall Police later announced they had opened a murder investigation. A 26-year-old white British man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

A local person who reportedly lived next door to Ms Widdecombe said they saw a minibus arriving in the early hours of the morning on the day she died.

he said Sun The man was white, British and wearing walking clothes.

Peter Cornthwaite, 66, of nearby Smokey Cross, told the same publication: “I’m quite shocked by this. It’s terrible.”

“We didn’t see any security and it didn’t have a secure yard or gate or anything.”

Devon and Cornwall Police Subsidiary Cons Matt Longman, 26-year-old suspect arrested on Friday at an address in Newton Abbot.

He said the incident is not being treated as terrorism and that there is currently no information to indicate such an incident. a politically motivated crime.

Mr Longman said: “This is an extremely tragic incident. Our thoughts are with Ms Widdecombe’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

Police remain “open-minded” about the motive for the attack and it is too early to comment on whether the suspect was known to Ms Widdecombe.

Reform Britain leader Nigel Farage said on social media that the former MP and MP’s death and the subsequent police murder investigation were a “horrible reflection on modern Britain”.

He said: “We don’t know what political motivations existed or whether there were any. Was it a robbery gone wrong? We just don’t know. And I won’t speculate at this stage. I’m satisfied the police did their job.”

Mr Farage said Britain and Reformation England were much poorer without him. He added: “I was expecting to see him at Clacton in the next few days. Unfortunately that’s not going to happen.”

The Reform UK leader, who resigned as Clacton-on-Sea MP to trigger a by-election amid a parliamentary standards inquiry, concluded his statement: “Rest in peace Ann.

“An extraordinary, principled woman and a truly terrible way to die and a terrible reflection of modern Britain. And I’m afraid that for everyone in public life, especially in the political sphere, things have become even more dangerous today.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged people to come together despite political divisions in the wake of the murder.

Sir Keir said he had spoken to his likely successor Andy Burnham, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Mr Farage to “urge everyone to come together at a moment like this”.

He said: “Ann was an outstanding politician with many achievements over many years and this is a huge, huge loss.”

Conservative leader Miss Badenoch said: “This was a disgusting, horrific attack and my heart breaks for his family.”