Suspicious Vehicle Reported Hours Before Killing
Dartmoor locals raised the alarm after spotting a suspicious dark VW Golf parked near Ann Widdecombe's remote home hours before she was murdered. The vehicle was noticed at around 9am on Wednesday by staff at a local garage.
A manager at the garage told police: “If it was a local they would have parked in the car park or one of the lay-bys.” His colleague saw the car halfway out of a lay-by at the top of the lane leading to Ms Widdecombe's bungalow.
Driver Description and Police Alert
The driver, described as a man in his late 20s or early 30s wearing shorts and a T-shirt, was doing up his walking boots, reported the Mail. The manager added: “He didn’t look like he fitted in. You don’t see many late 20s, early 30s men around here. He was heading up in that direction [towards Ann’s house]. It didn’t look right.”
The garage alerted Devon and Cornwall Police to the “out of the ordinary” car in the “strange place”. No CCTV captured the vehicle.
Timeline of the Murder
Just hours later, at about 12.30pm, police believe Ms Widdecombe, 78, was attacked in her home. The Conservative-turned-Reform politician had appeared on TalkTV that morning and exchanged messages with a Channel 5 producer. Her last text at 12:19pm read: “Received! Panic over!” She missed a scheduled Zoom interview at 1:25pm. Her body was found the following morning by her gardener, reported the Mail.
Arrests and Investigation
In a major breakthrough, officers arrested a 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham in South Yorkshire on Saturday evening, some 270 miles from the scene. He remains in custody on suspicion of murder. A 26-year-old man arrested on Friday was released without charge the next day.
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman appealed for information, saying: “Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring all available evidence is thoroughly examined.” The murder has stunned the local community and sparked concern for the safety of politicians.
Reactions and Further Details
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage visited the scene to lay flowers and described Ms Widdecombe as a “redoubtable” friend and fierce defender of free speech. He suggested the attack appeared premeditated, noting reports of a car on the drive shortly before the estimated time of the killing.
Ms Widdecombe's long-time driver Peter Horrell, 72, said she had never expressed any fears for her safety. He said: “When I saw it, I thought she had had a heart attack or a stroke. Of course, then later it turned out it was a suspected murder. I was just shocked.”
Police have carried out fingertip searches near the property and set up a major incident portal for public information. They have stressed there is currently no evidence the killing was politically motivated or terror-related, despite assistance from Counter Terrorism Policing in the Rotherham arrest.
The case continues to develop, with officers urging anyone with information about the suspicious Golf or the man seen near the property to come forward.
