UK police release suspect held over murder of Ann Widdecombe

12 Jul 2026 04:09AM

(Updated: 12 Jul 2026 05:12AM)

LONDON: British police said on Saturday (Jul 11) that they had released a man detained over the suspected murder of veteran right-wing politician Ann Widdecombe.

The 78-year-old former Conservative minister was found dead with "serious injuries" on Thursday at her home in Devon, southwest England, according to police.

"A 26-year-old man who was arrested on Friday (Jul 10) on suspicion of murder has since been released from custody and is no longer part of the investigation," they said in a statement on Saturday morning.

Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said officers believed Ms Widdecombe was attacked 24 hours before her body was found.

"We believe the attack took place on Wednesday (Jul 8) at around 12.30pm," he said in the statement, adding that police were still looking for a white male suspect.

Mr Longman had said on Friday he "had no information to say it was a politically motivated crime" and that her death was not being treated as terror-related.

"Detectives continue to carry out numerous enquiries as part of the ongoing investigation and we remain committed to establishing the full circumstances surrounding the incident," he said.

A LIFE IN POLITICS

Ms Widdecombe, a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, was known for her Christian faith and outspoken views.

In 1995, as prisons minister, she was embroiled in a row after defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to prevent them from escaping.

A staunch supporter of Brexit, Ms Widdecombe left the Conservatives in 2019 to join the hard-right party of anti-immigration leader Nigel Farage.

Mr Farage on Friday called her death a "terrible reflection on modern Britain" in a video posted on social media.

"I do fear that for anybody in public life, or especially the political space, things have become even more dangerous today," he said.

Source: AFP/fs