Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said Miss Widdecombe’s death is being treated as suspicious but ‘we do not believe there is a wider risk to the public’
Police believe Ann Widdecombe was attacked in her home nearly 24 hours before she was found dead and are hunting for a white male suspect. Devon and Cornwall Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, Matt Longman said Miss Widdecombe’s death is being treated as suspicious but “we do not believe there is a wider risk to the public”.
He said: “We believe the attack took place on Wednesday July 8 at around 12.30pm. Our inquiries are moving at pace for a suspect who is believed to be a white male.”
The former MP and MEP was discovered at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday having suffered “serious injuries” consistent with being repeatedly struck with a blunt object in her own kitchen.
On Friday, Dthe force said a 26-year-old man, initially arrested in connection with the death of the former Conservative prisons minister, has now been released without charge and is no longer part of the investigation.
They believe the killer could have been caught on CCTV in the area.
Miss Widdecombe was scheduled to appear on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show on Wednesday, but failed to turn up prompting concerns for her welfare. She featured on TalkTV on Wednesday, just one day before her body was discovered.
Miss Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010 for the Kent seat of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald, and occupied various ministerial roles under Sir John Major’s administration.
Following her departure from Parliament, she took part in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, dancing with Anton du Beke, and made it through to the semi-finals courtesy of viewer support.
She joined Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party in 2019 and worked as an MEP for South West England in Brussels from 2019 to 2020.
Miss Widdecombe took on the role of immigration and justice spokesperson for Mr Farage’s Reform UK and continued her media work.
Christine Maloney, who lives near Ann Widdecombe’s home in Haytor on Dartmoor, said the area is “very safe” and it is not unusual for locals to leave their cars and front doors unlocked.
She said of the former MP: “My husband saw her a week ago, driving around.
“I’m very shocked at (her death), it shouldn’t have happened, it’s horrific. Everyone knows that’s her house, perhaps that’s the problem?
“It’s very, very safe around here. I leave my car open, I leave my front door open – not now.
“It’s got to be someone that’s local or knows her. Whoever did it, I think they should put him out for the locals to deal with him.”
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined.
“Detectives continue to carry out numerous inquiries as part of the ongoing investigation and we remain committed to establishing the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
He said the investigation was “moving at a significant pace”, adding: “We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened.
“I would appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident, however insignificant it may seem, to come forward and speak with us.
“We will release further information when we are able to do so.
“In the meantime, I would ask people not to speculate about what might have happened, particularly on social media. This is not only potentially harmful to our investigation but also deeply distressing for family and friends of Miss Widdecombe.
“The family have also asked for their privacy to be respected as they come to terms with what has happened.
“We have set up a major incident public portal for information, images or footage to be submitted to us. This can be found on our website.
“Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.”
Devon and Cornwall Police previously said the case of her death is “not being treated as terrorism” and there is “no information” at this time to suggest it was a “politically motivated crime”.