Police said a 28-year-old man from Rotherham had been arrested on suspicion of murdering former MP Ann Widdecombe after she was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Devon. The statement stressed that officers were not, at that stage, treating the case as politically motivated or linked to terrorism, and urged people not to speculate while inquiries continued. The development mattered because Widdecombe was a well-known public figure and the arrest marked a major step in a high-profile murder investigation.

The article said Widdecombe, 78, was discovered at her home near Haytor on Thursday, with detectives believing she had been dead for more than 24 hours. It reported that a previously arrested 26-year-old man had been released and was no longer under investigation, while the Rotherham suspect remained in custody. Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the case and had already received more than 120 pieces of information from the public.