REFORM UK POLITICIANS GIVEN 24 HOUR POLICE PROTECTION AS SUSPICIOUS DRIVER HUNTED IN ANN WIDDECOMBE MURDER INVESTIGATION | INFORMING BRITAIN ON CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative Party minister and Reform UK spokesperson, was found dead at her bungalow in the Haytor Vale area of Dartmoor, Devon, on 9 July 2026.

The 78-year-old had served as Member Of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 2010, holding junior ministerial positions, and later contested The Conservative Party leadership.

After leaving Westminster she was elected as a Member of European Parliament for the Brexit Party in 2019 and subsequently acted as Reform UK spokesperson on immigration and justice.

She was also known for television appearances on programmes including Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to her property, known locally as Widdecombe's Rest, at approximately 11:40 BST after South Western Ambulance Service attended.

Police Officers believe she was attacked at the address around 12:30 BST the previous day, with her body remaining undiscovered for nearly 24 hours.

A murder investigation was opened.

​On 10 July a 26-year-old white British man was arrested at an address in the Newton Abbot area on suspicion of murder.

He was released without charge on 11 July and is no longer part of the investigation.

Devon and Cornwall Police have indicated that the death is not being treated as terrorism-related and that there is no indication it was politically motivated.

Forensic examinations continue at the property under a police cordon, while officers carry out house-to-house inquiries in the Haytor area.

​The investigation is described as progressing at a significant pace.

​As part of the inquiry, Devon and Cornwall Police are seeking a driver observed behaving suspiciously near Ann Widdecombe's home in the hours before the attack.

Senior politicians from Reform UK have been provided with 24-hour protection in connection with the murder investigation.

Members of the public who saw anything unusual in Haytor Vale or Haytor on 8 July, or who hold relevant CCTV, dashcam or doorbell camera footage from the vicinity, have been asked to submit it to the force.

Information can be provided through the major incident public portal or anonymously via CrimeStoppers.