Police search for suspect after Ann Widdecombe found dead on Dartmoor

Police are searching for a white male after Ann Widdecombe was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Devon and Cornwall Police were called to the address by the ambulance service at about 11.40am on Thursday 9 July, and the 78-year-old was located dead inside the property.

Devon and Cornwall Police have launched a murder investigation. The inquiry is at an early stage. Officers have not released further details about the circumstances inside the home, but detectives are treating the death as suspicious and are continuing to build a picture of what happened at the Devon property.

Her death was announced on Friday morning by her management. There had initially been no suggestion of suspicious circumstances. She had lived at Haytor for close to two decades after leaving Parliament in 2010.

She served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone and The Weald from 1987 to 2010, held ministerial posts in John Major’s government and later became a Reform UK spokeswoman. She was also known to many voters and television viewers as a Strictly Come Dancing contestant.

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, paid tribute to what she called a “formidable politician”, while Nigel Farage also paid tribute to Widdecombe. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the circumstances as “extremely distressing” and urged the public not to speculate while police continued their work.

Devon and Cornwall Police will issue further updates as inquiries continue.