A 28-year-old British national was taken into custody in South Yorkshire Saturday evening on suspicion of the murder, the police said.
Police in southwest England late Saturday said a 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
“The suspect, who is a white British national, is now in police custody,” the Devon and Cornwall police said in a statement. The man was arrested in South Yorkshire Saturday evening, the police said.
Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokesperson, was found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday. Widdecombe may have been dead at her home for nearly 24 hours before her body was discovered, the police said earlier.
A former MEP, Widdecombe, who was 78, was a staunch Brexiteer who found popularity on reality competition shows. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Widdecombe had a “decisive role in getting Brexit over the line” when she stood as a Brexit Party candidate in 2019.
The Devon and Cornwall police said “there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident,” according to the statement.
“We were supported by Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire police who carried out the arrest on behalf of Devon and Cornwall police,” the police said.
“We will look to provide further updates tomorrow,” the police added.