British police make new arrest in Ann Widdecombe murder investigation

British police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the murder of former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe.

Devon and Cornwall Police said late on Saturday that the suspect was arrested in South Yorkshire county in northern England, about 320km (200 miles) from her village, Haytor, in the southwest, where Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday.

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Earlier, police released a 26-year-old man arrested on Friday a few miles from the scene of the attack, saying he was no longer under investigation. The force said detectives are working “at a significant pace” to find the killer, and they do not believe there is a risk to the public.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead in her isolated rural home in Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Police did not disclose a cause of death, only saying she had sustained “serious injuries”.

Police said they believe Widdecombe was attacked at about 12:30pm on Wednesday. Concerns were raised for her after she failed to appear for a scheduled TV interview on Wednesday afternoon.

They said counterterrorism officers supported local police in carrying out Saturday’s arrest, but there is “no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident”.

Security has been tightened for politicians after the murders of two serving members of parliament in the past decade. Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the ISIL (ISIS) group.

Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party to which Widdecombe belonged, said staff had searched party emails to check for patterns of abuse directed at her, but had found nothing.

Speaking after leaving a wreath of flowers outside Widdecombe’s home, Farage said “we can’t identify, from our data, any individual” who appeared to be targeting her.

The death sent a shockwave through British politics, where Widdecombe had been a prominent voice for decades, known for her robust personality and socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ rights.

She was a lawmaker in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving in roles including prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major’s Conservative government in the 1990s.

Widdecombe found fame after leaving Parliament as a contestant on the reality television shows Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

She later joined the Brexit Party, briefly serving as a member of the European Parliament before the United Kingdom left the European Union in 2020. Most recently, she joined the anti-immigration Reform UK, often appearing in the media as a spokesperson.

Friends and colleagues contrasted her pugnacious political statements with her personal kindness and good humour.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called her death “really shocking news”, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she “really struggled to find the words to say”.

“It was a nasty, horrific attack and my heart is breaking for her family,” Badenoch said.

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