Man, 28, arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe | Politics | News
A 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of the murder of former MP and MP Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead at her home on Thursday (July 9).
A statement from Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We can confirm that a 28-year-old man was arrested at an address in South Yorkshire this evening (11 July) on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
“The suspect, a white British national, is currently in police custody. Ms Widdecombe’s family has been informed of this development.”
A spokesman for the force added: “We were supported by North East Counter Terrorism Police and South Yorkshire Police, who made the arrest on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police. There is currently no information to suggest this is a terrorism-related incident and as a force we maintain the priority of the investigation.”
The former Tory prisons minister was found dead at his home in Haytor, Dartmoor, at around 11.40am on Thursday after suffering serious injuries. The 78-year-old is believed to have been attacked at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, Devon and Cornwall Police said on Saturday.
Widdecombe was first elected as a Conservative MP for Kent in 1987, later serving as an MP for the Brexit Party and then as spokesperson for Reform UK. He also rose to fame outside of politics after appearing in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.
Peter Horrell, his personal chauffeur of 10 years, left flowers outside his home on Saturday. Speaking to reporters, Horrell said the politician “expressed no fear whatsoever” for his safety and that he loved living in Haytor.
UK Reform Leader Nigel Farage also visited the village on Saturday to pay his respects to Ms Widdecombe. Following Ms Widdecombe’s death, her party’s MPs were given 24-hour security paid by Reform for fear of similar attacks.
ITV News published a series of WhatsApp images showing Ms Widdecombe stopping responding to messages from a TV producer approximately after police believe the attack took place on Wednesday.
WhatsApp messages released by the broadcaster show a conversation between Ms Widdecombe and a producer from Channel 5’s Matt Allwright ahead of her appearance on the program on Wednesday.
He last sent a message at 12.19pm that day confirming that he had received a Zoom link to appear on the programme; “Received! Panic Over!” However, Ms Widdecombe did not respond to a message asking her to join a Zoom call at 12.48pm and did not respond to other calls or other messages attempting to contact her.
Allwright later confirmed live on air at 13.27 that he had been booked to appear on the show but did not show up. The production team then contacted Ms Widdecombe’s representative on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
Ann Widdecombe’s death timeline
Wednesday, July 8
8am: Ms Widdecombe was last seen in public and was interviewed on Talk TV.
12.19: He texts a researcher via video call from his home at 1pm, in preparation for appearing as a guest on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright programme.
12.48: He cannot respond to the researcher’s message.
12.50-14:00: The Matt Allwright show continues and Miss Widdecombe cannot get on stage.
Evening: It is understood ITN contacted his manager to express concerns at an unspecified time.
Thursday, July 9
11.40: Mrs Widdecombe was found dead and seriously injured in the kitchen.
Friday, July 10
7am: His death was announced but his murder was not mentioned.
15.50: Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed reports that a murder investigation has been launched.
17.50: Police said a 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Saturday, July 11
6.35: Police said the man was released and is no longer a suspect.
23.37: Police have confirmed that a 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of Ms Widdecombe’s murder.
