Devon and Cornwall Police say the man — described by the force as a white British national — was arrested at an address in South Yorkshire on Saturday evening and remains in custody. Ms Widdecombe’s family have been informed.
A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe, Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed — the second arrest in the hunt for the killer of the former Maidstone MP, and the first in which the suspect remains in police custody.
The Arrest
The man was arrested on the evening of Saturday 11 July at an address in the South Yorkshire area. Devon and Cornwall Police said they were supported by Counter Terrorism Policing North East and by South Yorkshire Police, who carried out the arrest. The force described the suspect as “a white British national” and confirmed that Ms Widdecombe’s family have been informed of the development.
Despite the involvement of counter-terrorism officers in supporting the arrest, the force was explicit that this does not change its assessment of the case: “At this time, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism related incident and as a force we retain primacy of the investigation.” Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman has previously said he has “no information to believe that that is a politically motivated crime.”
Announcing the arrest on Saturday night, the force said: “This is a live and active investigation, and no further information will be issued tonight.”
The Investigation So Far
Ms Widdecombe, 78, was found dead with serious injuries at her home at Haytor, on the edge of Dartmoor, after the ambulance service called police at around 11.40am on Thursday 9 July. Detectives from the force’s Major Crime Investigation Team launched a murder inquiry, codenamed Operation Hunlen, and believe the attack took place almost a day earlier — at around 12.30pm on Wednesday 8 July.
A 26-year-old man detained on Friday afternoon in Newton Abbot, a few miles from Ms Widdecombe’s home, was released the following day without charge and is no longer part of the investigation — as reported in our earlier story: Arrested Man Released as Police Say No Wider Risk to Public.
On Saturday, before the new arrest was announced, Mr Longman thanked the local community and “the people who have come forward so far with their information”, saying officers were “making progress and are pursuing a number of lines of enquiry”. He said the force had deliberately withheld details such as suspect descriptions and CCTV footage because “releasing such information prematurely could compromise ongoing enquiries and may prejudice future investigative opportunities”.
Anyone with information — including CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage from the Haytor area — can contact the force via its Major Incident Public Portal, quoting Operation Hunlen, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Police have urged the public not to speculate about the case on social media.
The Kent Connection
Ms Widdecombe represented Maidstone, and later Maidstone and The Weald, for 23 years from 1987 until 2010, serving as prisons minister under John Major before later fronting the Brexit Party and Reform UK. Tributes from across the political spectrum — and the full story of her life and career — are in our tribute: Ann Widdecombe, Former Maidstone MP and Conservative Minister, Dies Aged 78.
The Legal Position
The arrested man has not been charged with any offence, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Because an arrest has been made, proceedings are now active under the Contempt of Court Act 1981: Kent Local News will not publish speculation about the suspect’s identity, background or motive, and is limiting its reporting to what police and other official sources have confirmed. Unverified claims circulating on social media that purport to name or describe the suspect should be treated with caution — repeating them can prejudice any future trial.
Kent Local News will report further developments as they are officially confirmed.
Sources
Original source: Devon & Cornwall Police — ARREST: Murder enquiry launched following death of Ann Widdecombe, Dartmoor (11 July 2026) and Devon & Cornwall Police — UPDATE: Statement from ACC Matt Longman (11 July 2026)