Funeral held for former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe in Devon

About 100 family, friends and colleagues of Ann Widdecombe have attended a funeral service for the former Conservative minister, who was killed in her home in Devon last month.

Politicians and broadcasters were among the mourners at Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh, a Catholic abbey in Devon where Widdecombe regularly worshipped and which she described as her “safe haven”.

A 90-minute requiem mass – where prayers are offered for the soul of the dead – was held for the former MP and Reform UK spokesperson.

Before the service, police officers and sniffer dogs could be seen searching the grounds.

Widdecombe died on 8 July, aged 78, after she was hit over the head with a hammer 21 times at her home in Haytor. Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was charged with her murder on 20 July.

It is understood that Reform leader, Nigel Farage, did not attend the funeral because he did not wish to be a distraction. He is expected to attend a public memorial planned for later this year.

Those slated to attend included the shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, the former Conservative justice minister Crispin Blunt and the broadcaster Iain Dale.

The private mass featured a homily from the Rt Rev David Charlesworth, the abbot of Buckfast. He said: “In the midst of the shock, clamour and sometimes unwarranted comment surrounding her death, our response is to pray for the repose of her soul, to give thanks for her fortitude, and offer Holy Mass in this abbey church, which Ann called her safe haven.”

An earlier statement from the abbey said: “Ann was a woman of profound faith, a faith which found expression in the public forum of politics. Ann was unafraid to express her unwavering convictions, formed through her Roman Catholic faith. She had a sharp intellect and was a dedicated public servant.”

The order of service showed tributes would be paid by the Rev Roger Widdecombe, Widdecombe’s nephew, and Christian Sweeting, a close friend.

Donations made in her memory will be divided between the Leprosy Mission and Abound, supporting the projects of the Christian Endeavour Hostel in India.

Widdecombe was first elected as a Conservative MP for Maidstone in 1987 and became a prisons minister in the 1990s. She later became a member of the European parliament for the Brexit party. At the time of her death she was a spokesperson on immigration and justice for Reform UK. She had also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.