Ann Widdecombe attacked a day before she was found dead, police believe

Ann Widdecombe was attacked nearly 24 hours before she was found dead, police believe.

The 78-year-old former Conservative minister was found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, Devon at 11:40 BST on Thursday.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they believe the attack took place on Wednesday at around 12:30 BST, and added that enquiries were "moving at pace for a suspect who is believed to be a white male".

On Saturday morning, the force announced a 26-year-old white British man, who had been arrested a day earlier on suspicion of murdering the former MP, had been released from custody and was "no longer part of the investigation".

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said the priority "remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined".

Detectives were continuing to carry out "numerous enquiries" and the investigation was "moving at a significant pace", he added.

"We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened. I would appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident, however insignificant it may seem, to come forward and speak with us."

Later on Saturday, Longman said the force had decided not to release further information, including descriptions of any potential suspects or CCTV footage, for the time being.

"Releasing such information prematurely could compromise ongoing enquiries and may prejudice future investigative opportunities," he said.

A significant police presence remained in the area on Saturday, with forensic officers seen arriving at the property. People, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, were also seen laying memorial flowers near Widdecombe's home.

During a police press conference on Friday, Longman said the force had ruled out terrorism and had no information to believe Widdecombe's death was a "politically motivated crime".

He added that it was too early to comment on whether or not the suspect was known to her.

Widdecombe's death was announced by her management agency early on Friday morning without mention of any suspicious circumstances.

By afternoon, Devon and Cornwall Police had issued a statement, revealing that a murder investigation had been launched and they were looking for a suspect believed to be a white British man.

Laying a wreath at Dartmoor National Park, close to Widdecombe's home, Farage told reporters that she was a "remarkable individual" and "the fiercest defender of free speech".

He added that Reform was "doing everything we can to support the police in every way".

Widdecombe's long-time driver, Peter Horrall, also laid flowers near the scene on Saturday, telling the BBC that he "just couldn't believe" what had happened.

"She was a great lady, very kind," he said, adding that "if you asked her a question, you'd get an answer - no mucking about".

Other local residents have been reeling following news of the attack, with one woman who lives near Widdecombe's home telling PA news agency the area was "very safe" and it was not unusual for people to leave their cars and front doors unlocked.

"My husband saw her a week ago, driving around," Christine Maloney said, adding she was "very shocked" by news of her death.

"Everyone saw her as quite an opinionated politician, but to us she was just a person in the community," said another resident, Alison Gilbert.

"First of all, we got back and saw police and thought maybe it was a burglary, a lot of us suspected she had a heart attack or something," she said.

"She didn't deserve to die like that," added her husband, Simon.

Widdecombe's political career spanned several decades, having served as a Tory MP for Maidstone in Kent from 1987 to 2010.

Following her departure from the Commons, Widdecombe appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010. Paired with Anton du Beke, the dance partners reached the semi-finals. She also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

She then joined the Brexit Party in 2019 where she represented South West England as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2019 to 2020.

In 2023, she joined Farage's Reform UK, where she was the party's Immigration and Justice spokesperson.

There has been widespread shock across the political spectrum following news of the murder inquiry.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Friday he had spoken to his likely successor, Andy Burnham, as well as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Farage to "urge everybody to come together".

Paying tribute, former Tory MP Edwina Currie described Widdecombe as a "brilliant" and "articulate" woman.

"Yesterday was one of the worst days many of us had experienced," she told BBC's Today Programme on Saturday. "Then to find she had been killed, it was just absolutely awful. I still feel absolutely devastated by it."

"Underneath a lot of the hard shell, I think she was a very kind woman," she added.

Broadcaster and former MP Gyles Brandreth, described his long-time friend who he had met at Oxford University in 1967 as "fun" and "feisty even then".

"What was great about Ann is you could disagree with her - and I disagreed with her on so many issues, more and more as the years went by," he said, adding once it was over they would "have a drink and have a laugh about it".