Ann Widdecombe killed in ‘targeted attack’, counter terror police say

Detectives are still working to understand the motive behind the alleged murder of Ann Widdecombe, but questions about MP safety have been raised in its aftermath.

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) said he could not comment earlier when asked if it was an attack on Reform UK, but added that it would be a “line of investigation to ensure that we are putting all appropriate measures in place to mitigate any threat, should it become apparent”.

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Widdecombe’s death “raises questions about the security of those in public life”.

In response to her, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said they must “redouble our efforts” to make sure “public political figures” always receive the “proportionate protection they need”.

High profile deaths in recent years have included those of Labour MP Jo Cox and Tory MP David Amess.

Reform UK – the party for which Widdecombe was a spokesperson – has also raised concerns, with the party’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick accusing the government of a “dereliction of duty” over party leader Nigel Farage’s security.

Farage has accepted Mahmood’s offer of a meeting with the parliamentary body in charge of politicians’ security to discuss security concerns.

As well as being arrested on suspicion of murder, the 28-year-old white British man in police custody has also been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

That specific wording was introduced as a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act, external.

We don’t have much detail yet about why he was arrested on suspicion of this offence, but earlier the head of counter-terrorism policing said detectives had obtained a warrant of further detention. That means they can hold a suspect for up to seven days without charging them.

The maximum time police can hold someone under the Terrorism Act without charge is 14 days – and they would need to apply for another extension.

Taylor also said the counter-terrorism investigation was “running in parallel” with the murder investigation, and that at this stage the suspected murder of Ann Widdecombe “has not been declared a terrorist incident”.

• A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s murder on Saturday in Rotherham, South Yorkshire
• He is a white British national
• CCTV footage time-stamped 07:51 on Wednesday shows the suspect appearing to get into a car in Yorkshire – the man, wearing a white shirt and shorts, appears to have a long object protruding from his shorts pocket
• He was re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism on Monday
• The suspect was not known to Prevent – the government’s anti-extremism scheme, according to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood

Boris Johnson has said he is “very, very sorry and shocked” to hear about the death of Ann Widdecombe.

Speaking at an event in London, the former prime minister describes her as an “extraordinary politician” and says the circumstances of her death are “appalling and unforgivable”.

Asked about the security of UK politicians, Johnson replies: “Look, I heard what the home secretary had to say and that seemed sensible to me.”

Ann Widdecombe’s appearance on TalkTV on the morning she died is being looked into as part of the investigation, according to Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the counter-terror police chief.

Widdecombe appeared on the programme at 08:05 – here’s a timeline.

“We are exploring all lines of inquiry and that is one of the lines of inquiry that we’ll be exploring,” Taylor said.

It was one of several media appearances Widdecombe was scheduled to make during the day she died. A researcher from Channel 5 reportedly spoke to her too ahead of an intended appearance, with the last message received at 12:19.

She also gave a pre-recorded interview about 20 minutes before police believe she was attacked, speaking to a Christian radio station for about nine minutes.

Ann Widdecombe had been living in the small Devon village of Haytor for 18 years, and locals have been speaking to the BBC about their shock at her death.

“The community is feeling quite isolated, especially those within the cordon,” says Phill Parker, rector at the parish of Ilsington and Haytor.

“It’s really restricted their movement, their access to support,” he explains. “People not being able to get in to speak with them and offer them the care they really need, while they’re just really unsettled by what’s going on within their community.”

Lesley Clark, who works at Buckfast Abbey on the edge of Dartmoor, says: “We were all really devastated when we heard that she had died, because she had only been in church the week before and she looked perfectly alright.”

“Now to find out that it’s escalated into something to do with terrorism is very worrying,” she adds. “We feel very, very sad about it and particularly for her family.”

Dan Johnson
West of England correspondent, reporting from Haytor

Police officers still have roads closed around the tiny hamlet on the edge of Dartmoor where Ann Widdecombe lived. Residents are being logged in and out, and hikers and cyclists are having their routes through the national park diverted.

Occasionally, some of Dartmoor’s ponies canter off the hills and across the road, a reminder of the natural appeal and tranquil beauty which usually characterises this area.

At the Moorland Hotel, more people have been laying flowers and paying their respects – some locals who knew Ann Widdecombe, others from further away who perhaps felt they knew her, or shared the views she championed.

Some people have driven up on to the moor to see the massed cameras and reporters trying to capture the enormity of what happened here.

Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner has released a statement recognising the impact this investigation is having on this tiny community and on wider policing across these largely rural counties.

There is some frustration about the disruption so many days on. But there is also understanding this beauty spot is now at the centre of a terrorism investigation which has baffled and concerned people nationwide.

As the head of counter-terror police has said, digital forensic examinations are one of the lines of inquiry the force is pursuing in its investigation.

Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science that looks at identifying, acquiring, processing, analysing and reporting on electronically stored data, according to Interpol.

It says the main aim of the digital forensics process is to extract data from an electronic evidence, turn it into intelligence that police can use, and present it for prosecution.

Interpol notes that electronic evidence “is a component of almost all criminal activities”, so digital forensics plays a central role in law enforcement investigations.

This electronic evidence can be collected from a variety of sources – including computers, smartphones or remote storage.

Ann Widdecombe gave a pre-recorded radio interview about 20 minutes before police believe she was attacked on Wednesday 8 July.

The former Conservative minister, later a Reform UK spokeswoman, spoke to British Christian radio station TWR-UK for about nine minutes via video link, but the interview wasn’t broadcast.

The station later shared part of the recording with Times Radio, which first aired the interview on Tuesday.

In the interview, she spoke about her support for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Here’s a recap of what Counter Terrorism Policing has said just now:

• The killing of Ann Widdecombe is a “targeted attack”
• Detectives have obtained a warrant to hold the 28-year-old suspect for up to seven days under the Terrorism Act
• Detectives are still working to understand the motive
• A counter-terrorism investigation is “running in parallel” to the murder investigation
• The suspected murder “has not been declared a terrorist incident at this stage”
• The investigation is “complex”, with multiple lines of inquiry, including “digital forensic examinations”

Counter-terror police were also asked if there was a relationship between the first person arrested and then released, and the current suspect in custody.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor says: “The first individual that was arrested and then released, as Devon and Cornwall police have said, they do not have any involvement in this matter.”

He also says that they are not involved in the investigation.

As a reminder, Devon and Cornwall Police said on Thursday that they had arrested a 26-year-old white British man on suspicion of murder, but on Saturday they said he had been released.

Later on Saturday, police announced the arrest of a 28-year-old white British man on suspicion of murder. The 28-year-old was re-arrested on Monday on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, after the investigation was taken over by counter-terror police.

• You can read our timeline for a clear picture of how the investigation has evolved

In the on-camera statement, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor says that “extensive searches have taken place at an address in Rotherham”, where the 28-year-old white British man was arrested.

He says there are “multiple lines of inquiry” that police are “pursuing expeditiously, including digital forensic examinations”.

Taylor says he wants to remind the public that investigations like this are “complex” and “new information can emerge”.

More information will be released when it is available and appropriate, he says.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor is giving a statement on the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe.

You can watch live above.

Daniel De Simone
Reporting from Scotland Yard

Taylor said he could not comment when asked if the suspected murder of Ann Widdecombe was an attack on Reform UK.

“I don’t want to rule out anything,” he said. He also would not comment on whether they were investigating whether a foreign state was involved.

“We are working through what the motivation for the attack currently is,” he said. “At this stage I wouldn’t want to comment on the motivation.”

He also said he cannot comment on details about the planning and preparation of the suspected attack.

He said the counter-terrorism investigation is “running in parallel to the murder investigation” and that “we are investigating terrorism offences”.

But he would not comment on whether that means the suspect potentially committed terrorism offences separate to the alleged murder case, or whether any other politicians were potential targets.

Taylor also said that, at this stage, the suspected murder of Ann Widdecombe “has not been declared a terrorist incident”.

“This is a murder investigation following a brutal attack on a 78-year-old woman in her own home.”

There has been a “deeply distressing impact on Miss Widdecombe’s family”, he adds.

Daniel De Simone
Reporting from Scotland Yard

The killing of Ann Widdecombe was a “targeted attack” and detectives are still working to understand the motive, counter-terrorism police say.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, gave an update on the Ann Widdecombe investigation at New Scotland Yard this afternoon.

He said there is a “limit” to the details he can provide given it is a live murder investigation but “it is clear this was a targeted attack”.

He added: “We are working to understand the planning and preparation and the motivation that sits behind the attack.”

He said detectives have obtained a warrant of further detention and can now hold the suspect for up to seven days under the Terrorism Act.

Yesterday, as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood made her statement in the Commons, MPs from across the political spectrum shared their condolences.

Mahmood remembered Widdecombe as “forthright and fearless” and someone who “thought seriously about ideas but did not take herself too seriously”.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said “we will all remember Ann fondly” and described her as a public figure who was “always formidable, always charming, and always entertaining”.

Reform UK MP Richard Tice described Widdecombe as “a colossus” in public and political life, praising her for an “incredible work ethic”.

Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson said while he didn’t always agree with Widdecombe, her style of presenting arguments was “compelling”.

Scottish National Party MP Pete Wishart called Widdecombe “a larger than life political figure”.

We have just heard an on-camera statement from the Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Police Alison Hernandez.

It was a readout of the same statement we published earlier, where she says she is “confident that Devon and Cornwall Police has provided a substantial and professional response to Ann Widdecombe’s death”.

She did not take questions from the media.

Ann Widdecombe was born in Bath, Somerset, in 1947.

She went on to study Latin at Birmingham University, then philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University.

Her political career spanned several decades, having served as a Tory MP for Maidstone in Kent from 1987 to 2010.

She worked as a Home Office and employment minister in John Major’s government between 1994 and 1997.

After Parliament, an unlikely showbusiness career awaited the former minister. She appeared on various prime-time television shows, including Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

A staunch supporter of the UK’s departure from the EU, she became an MEP for the Brexit Party, representing South West England in the European Parliament between 2019-2020.

In 2023, she joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, after the party changed its name from the Brexit Party, where she served as immigration and justice spokesperson.

Wednesday 8 July

08:05 – Ann Widdecombe appears on TalkTV to speak about her party’s leader, Nigel Farage.

12:19 – A researcher from Channel 5 reportedly speaks to Widdecombe to set up a video interview from her home – her last message was received at 12:19.

12:30 – This is when police say they believe the attack took place.

12:48 – The researcher messages again, according to ITV, asking Widdecombe to join a Zoom link before the interview, but she doesn’t reply.

Thursday 9 July

11:40 – Devon and Cornwall Police officers are called by the ambulance service and find Widdecombe dead in the property.

Friday 10 July

About 06:30 – Media outlets report Widdecombe’s death. A statement from her managing team gives no detail to suggest her death was suspicious.

15:44 – Police issue a statement saying they have launched a murder investigation.

17:45 – Devon and Cornwall Police says a 26-year-old white British man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Saturday 11 July

Shortly before 07:00 – Devon and Cornwall Police says the suspect has been released from custody and is no longer part of its investigation. Police remain at the scene and a manhunt is under way.

Shortly after 21:00 – A 28-year-old white British man is arrested at an address in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on suspicion of Widdecombe’s murder.

Sunday 12 July

About 12:00 – Devon and Cornwall Police says there is “nothing to suggest” the murder of Widdecombe was politically motivated.

Monday 13 July

Shortly before 13:00 – Counter Terrorism Police takes over leading the investigation following “new information”. The force says the 28-year-old suspect has been re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

16:30 – Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announces the 28-year-old suspect was not known to Prevent – the government’s anti-extremism scheme.

As mentioned, Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has defended the force, as “there’s been some commentary about the way Devon and Cornwall police have communicated during the early stages of this case”.

It follows comments from Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman, who told a news conference on Friday the force had ruled out terrorism and had no information to suggest Widdecombe’s death was a “politically motivated crime”.

But on Monday it was announced counter-terrorism police would take over the investigation. A 28-year-old suspect – who was originally arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday – was re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Hernandez says “it is not unusual” in a fast-paced investigation for the nature of the inquiry to change as more information comes to light.