Ann Widdecombe ‘murder’ suspect caught on CCTV ‘before driving nearly 300 miles to ex MP’s home with foot-long pole’

This is the moment the prime suspect in Ann Widdecombe’s murder climbed into her car with a large baton sticking out of his shorts pocket.

The man, who the Daily Mail has not named, was arrested on suspicion of murdering the former Tory MP after a dozen armed police stormed the town hall in South Yorkshire on Saturday night.

The 78-year-old was caught on CCTV leaving the property at a rundown site in Rotherham shortly before 8am on Wednesday, the day he was allegedly beaten to death.

The footage shows what appears to be a baton or pole over 30cm long in his left pocket.

The man, described by neighbors as reclusive, was allegedly filmed climbing into a red hatchback before driving approximately 267 miles – a journey of around five hours – to Ms Widdecombe’s remote property in Haytor, Dartmoor.

Police believe the former Tory minister, who was found dead the next morning, was murdered shortly after noon on Wednesday.

Neighbors said the man hired following his death was an unemployed “loner” who rarely left home and had become increasingly withdrawn following the death of his father last year.

But in the early hours of Wednesday morning, security cameras showed the suspect, who lived alone, leaving his terraced house and getting into a rickety car parked in the driveway.

“He leaves the house and walks towards the red car,” said a neighbor familiar with the footage shared with police.

Ann Widdecombe was murdered in her home on Wednesday last week and was discovered 24 hours later

They said he appeared to be carrying a stick hidden under his top before placing it inside the car.

“It looked like a wooden stick or iron bar about 12 inches long and was sticking out from under his shirt as he got into the car,” the person added.

‘He appeared calm and there were no signs of anything unusual happening.’

Devon and Cornwall Police said there was no indication the violent murder was ‘politically motivated’ or ‘linked to terrorism’ despite Ms Widdecombe’s public profile.

He was first elected as a Conservative MP for Kent in 1987, before serving as an MP for the Brexit Party and then as spokesperson for Reform UK.

Deputy Chief Constable Matt Longman said: ‘At this point, we have no information yet that this is a terrorism-related incident and at this point we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this murder.

‘There is nothing at this stage to suggest that the incident was politically motivated.’

He said detectives were ‘keeping an open mind about the potential motive’ and stressed there was not believed to be any threat to the wider public.

He appealed for people ‘not to share or engage in this speculation’, saying: ‘This is unhelpful, does not assist our investigation and is particularly distressing for Ms Widdecombe’s family and friends.’

Chief Constable James Vaughan, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said police had ‘delivered an extraordinary response to the horrific murder of a very prominent public figure’.

He added: ‘The operation has been going on at lightning speed for 48 hours.

‘I’m really pleased that a suspect has been kept in strict custody and further work has been done by us today.’

Forensic officers were still searching the mid-terrace address in the town’s Kimberworth Park area on Sunday as uniformed officers stood guard outside.

Neighbors said about a dozen armed police surrounded the property around 9pm on Saturday and knocked loudly on the door.

Courtney Foster, 25, who lives next door with her partner Rayed Astle, 26, said: ‘We were in the kitchen and saw the police coming running. Some were armed. Then they knocked on the door very loudly.

‘They didn’t break the door because he opened it. They asked him his name, he confirmed it and they took him away.’

Ms Foster said police also took the man’s pet labradoodle, adding: ‘There were about 12 police officers and a number of cars. It was quite shocking.’

Describing the man, Mr Astle said he had hardly spoken to anyone since his father, whom he moved in with about a year ago, died last December.

‘He was someone you could chat to, but that changed after his father died. It got very quiet. “He kept to himself and didn’t talk to anyone,” he added.

Mrs Foster added: ‘He was always at home and I don’t think he was working.’

Other neighbors said the man’s red Vauxhall Corsa was ‘barely moving’ from the roadside and was even rusting as weeds grew on it.

Forensic officers were seen entering the house after it was confirmed there was no evidence to suggest the murder was politically motivated.

Police arrested a man on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s murder while searching an address in Rotherham on Sunday.

There is still a cordon in place at Ms Widdecombe’s bungalow in Haytor, Devon, and police say locals will notice a heavier presence over the next few days

Floral gifts were left on the lawn outside her home, including a framed photograph of Mrs Widdecombe

“The car would normally be left outside for long periods of time, so it was noticeable that it had left so early in the morning,” one added.

Another local resident said: ‘He is one of three siblings but was living on his own as the others had moved elsewhere.

‘His father died before Christmas and I think that affected him. He seemed to have changed as he became even more introverted.

‘You could hardly see him; so much so that you would assume the house was empty. Sometimes you’d see the upstairs light on, but that’s all.’

Another resident who witnessed the arrest said: ‘The police arrived at around 9.10pm. There were about a dozen police officers with guns in both the front yard and the backyard.

‘They knocked on the door and he opened it. They asked his name and he was taken away.

‘It was actually quite quiet. There was no commotion… Their emergence was very quiet. There was no light, no noise; ‘Our Ring doorbell didn’t even ring.’

Neighbor Kingsley Whybrow, 29, said: ‘I’ve never seen anyone coming in or out of that house yet.

‘He was driving a red Corsa parked outside; It was starting to rust and plants were growing on it. They came to film him around 3am.’

One of the man’s brothers is believed to live in Devon, while a second brother and his mother, who is thought to work as a teacher’s assistant, are also said to live in the area.

Ms Widdecombe had stopped responding to text messages about a TV interview around the time police believed she was being attacked.

He was due to make a remote guest appearance on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright program when he suddenly stopped responding to a producer at 12.19pm, according to ITV News.

The messages show that he did not open a reply with a time stamp of 12:48 asking him to join a Zoom meeting that he was unable to attend.

Reform UK is said to be reviewing emails sent to Widdecombe in the weeks before the murder to investigate whether there were any threats to his life.

The party also said it was committed to providing 24-hour security to MPs following his death.