A man suspected of murdering former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe was arrested by armed police in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday night. The 28-year-old suspect, who has not been named, was taken into custody almost 300 miles from where Widdecombe was found dead at her isolated bungalow in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday morning.
Neighbours Describe Quiet Loner
Neighbours in Rotherham described the suspect as a quiet loner who rarely left his house. One neighbour said they heard a police helicopter hovering around 7.30pm on Saturday, followed by a marked police van and an unmarked car. “Then the next minute I saw a police marked van and an unmarked car and that’s when they took him,” the neighbour said. “I was up all night and they were taking pictures, the forensics for ages. The family who lived there were quiet.”
Another neighbour, Courtney Foster, 25, told the Telegraph: “He rarely comes out of the house, his dad used to do everything for him and I don’t know what he did for a living.” She described the arrest as “really loud” and added that police also took the suspect’s dog, believed to be a labradoodle.
Details of the Attack
Ann Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home on Thursday morning by her carer, who called 999. Murder detectives believe she was killed almost 24 hours earlier, around midday on Wednesday. She suffered severe head injuries after being bludgeoned. A 26-year-old man was initially arrested on Friday but later released. The second arrest was announced late on Saturday night.
At least eight forensic officers arrived on Sunday afternoon to continue searching the terraced house in Rotherham. A tactical support van was parked outside. Neighbours said the suspect lived at the property with his father, who is believed to have died recently. One resident said: “Loads of unmarked police cars and loads of people ran into house. I feel quite sick to tell you the truth.”
Witness Account of the Arrest
One local in Rotherham said: “I never dreamt it would be linked to what happened to Ann Widdecombe. That’s very far away from us. I was about to watch the football and I could hear a helicopter overhead and my wife shouting ‘look what is happening at the front of house’. I saw many undercover police outside. I knew they were not neighbours coming to visit! Then on the back garden I saw two police officers with big guns on the man’s neighbours garden. We just watched and then it went quiet. So I just went back to watch the game. My neighbour said they took away a red Corsa around 3am. I had only seen him about twice.”
The suspect’s partner told the Mirror: “They were taking all sorts out the house from midnight. It looked like things had been removed from the wall in his bedroom. They took pictures of the red Corsa but that cars been there for ages. We were shocked.”
Ongoing Investigation
Devon and Cornwall Police are leading the investigation, with a huge cordon in place in both Devon and Rotherham. Forensics officers continue to examine the properties. The suspect remains in custody for questioning.
