Ann Widdecombe murder investigation turns sleepy Devon village into major crime scene

The village where Ann Widdecombe was found dead in her quiet countryside home has become a swarm of police activity as detectives continue to investigate what happened.

A murder investigation was launched in Haytor on Dartmoor after the Tory-turned-Reform member was discovered with serious injuries on Thursday morning (July 10). Devon and Cornwall Police arrested a 26-year-old man in Newton Abbot on suspicion of her murder. The suspect is described as a white British national.

Since then, police have swarmed her home and the surrounding area looking for evidence and trying to piece together what happened. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said Ms Widdecombe's death is not believed to be terror-related and there is no indication at this stage that it was politically motivated.

In 2011, Ann Widdecome spoke to DevonLive about her move to Haytor, a quiet village on the eastern part of Dartmoor. “I know the area well,” she said. “My father was born in Saltash. My mother was born in Plymouth. I’ve still got an elderly aunt and a cousin in Saltash, and a cousin in Torquay, although that’s about it.

“I used to come down here a lot visiting relatives and things like that, and then, when I was older, I walked a great deal on Dartmoor, initially with my father, and then in later years on my own, or with a companion.”

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