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Police investigate circumstances of Ann Widecombe’s death
Devon and Cornwall Police have launched a murder inquiry into the death of Ann Widdecombe, the 78-year-old former Conservative prisons minister, after she was found with a serious head wound at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor. Officers were called by an ambulance crew at 11.40am the previous day and discovered her covered in blood with "serious injuries". Her death had initially been announced by her management team that morning with no suggestion of anything other than natural causes, making the shift to a murder investigation especially striking.
Police say they are hunting a "white male" whom they believe is responsible, and forensic officers are examining her cordoned-off property. Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said the inquiry was in its early stages but "moving at a significant pace", and appealed for information, particularly any CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage from the vicinity of Haytor Vale. Sir Keir Starmer described the news as "really shocking" and praised the former MP as "distinguished".
Explained simply
Ann Widdecombe was a Conservative MP who served as prisons minister in the 1990s and remained a prominent figure in British public life for decades. She was known for her outspoken views on various political issues during her long parliamentary career.
She died at her home on Dartmoor in Devon, aged 78. Her death was initially announced as occurring from natural causes, but police subsequently opened a murder investigation after examining the circumstances at her property.
Her death has attracted significant attention because of her long prominence as a public figure. The unexpected nature of the murder inquiry has prompted reactions from senior politicians and an appeal for information from the public.