LONDON, July 12, 2026 (AFP) – British police said late Saturday they had arrested a suspect over the alleged murder of veteran right-wing politician Ann Widdecombe, hours after releasing a man they de-tained earlier.
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.
Devon and Cornwall Police said a 28-year-old man was arrested at an address in South Yorkshire on Saturday evening on suspicion of murder.
“The suspect, who is a white British national, is now in police custody,” the force said in a statement on Facebook.
Police said Widdecombe’s family had been informed of the arrest.
The development came after officers announced earlier on Saturday that a 26-year-old man arrested on Friday had been released from custody and was no longer part of the investigation.
“At this time, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism related incident and as a force we retain primacy of the investigation,” the police said.
Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said earlier officers thought Wid-decombe was attacked 24 hours before her body was found.
“We believe the attack took place on Wednesday 8 July at around 12.30pm,” he said in the statement, adding that police had been searching for a white male suspect.
Longman had said on Friday he “had no information to say it was a politically motivated crime” and her death was not being treated as terror-related.
