Police ‘probing whether Widdecombe suspect linked to arson attack on Farage’
Police are investigating whether Joshua Kerry, the man charged with murdering Ann Widdecombe, is linked to an incendiary device posted through Nigel Farage's letterbox at his London home in April 2025. The case had originally been treated as an attempted burglary and closed without arrests, but Counter Terrorism Policing London has now reopened the inquiry after identifying a line of investigation that was not pursued at the time, prompting the police watchdog to examine the conduct of a CTP officer involved.
Farage described the 2025 incident, in which the device reportedly burned out on his porch while he was away, as an "outright arson attempt", and told a press conference on Monday that he believes it is "directly linked" to Widdecombe's murder, though he declined to elaborate further. Widdecombe, a Reform UK spokesperson and former Conservative minister, died on 8 July after being struck with a hammer 21 times at her Dartmoor home; Kerry, 28, was arrested on suspicion of murder and terrorism offences before being charged on 20 July and remanded in custody. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating an allegation that a CTP London staff member failed to pursue a relevant lead, which a source called an "unprecedented" and "very serious policing error".
In short
- Police probe link between Widdecombe murder suspect and 2025 Farage arson attack
- CTP London reopens case after missing a lead first time round
- Watchdog IOPC investigating officer's conduct; Farage calls reopening "unprecedented"
Explained simply
Ann Widdecombe was a former Conservative minister who later became a spokesperson for Reform UK, Nigel Farage’s political party. She died after being attacked at her home in Dartmoor, and Joshua Kerry has been charged with her murder; he denies the charge.
In April 2025, an incendiary device was posted through Farage’s letterbox at his London home and burned out on the porch while he was away. Police initially treated the incident as an attempted burglary and closed the case without making arrests. Farage has said he believes it is connected to Widdecombe’s death, but that link has not been established.
The inquiry into the device is now being examined alongside questions about whether a police lead was missed. The case matters because investigators are looking at whether the two incidents are connected, while a police watchdog is reviewing the handling of the earlier inquiry.