Man arrested in Rotherham over Ann Widdecombe murder investigation

Police arrested a 28-year-old white British man at an address in Rotherham shortly after 9pm on Saturday. Officers kept a cordon around the Byrley Road property in Kimberworth Park, where a Tactical Support Unit and two police cars remained at the scene.

Devon and Cornwall Police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the alleged killing and there was no information at this stage to suggest the incident was terrorism-related. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said the investigation had continued to develop as detectives pursued CCTV and other lines of inquiry.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor, at about 11.40am on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries.

In Rotherham, neighbours said officers arrived at Byrley Road just before England’s World Cup match on Saturday night. They said a red car was taken from the driveway as police secured the house and maintained their presence into the next day.

Footage from outside the property showed a man dressed in a white shirt and shorts getting into a red car outside the house. Police have not said publicly what role, if any, the vehicle or the man in the footage played in Widdecombe’s death. Investigators are continuing to guard the Rotherham scene while they work through the timeline between the Dartmoor death and the arrest in South Yorkshire.