UK police make new arrest over killing of former politician Ann Widdecombe – AP News
LONDON (AP) — British police arrested a 28-year-old man late Saturday on suspicion of murder over the death of former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the suspect was arrested in South Yorkshire county in northern England, more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the southwest England village where Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday.
Earlier, police released a 26-year-old man arrested Friday a few miles from the scene of the attack, saying he was no longer under investigation. The force said detectives are working “at a significant pace” to find the killer, and they don’t believe there is a risk to the public.
Widdecombe, 78, was found dead in her isolated rural home in the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Police did not disclose a cause of death, saying only that she had sustained “serious injuries.”
Police said they believe Widdecombe was attacked at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Concerns were raised for her after she failed to appear for a scheduled TV interview on Wednesday afternoon.
The force said counterterrorism officers supported local police in carrying out Saturday’s arrest, but there is “no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident.”
Security has been tightened for politicians after the murders of two serving members of Parliament in the past decade. Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.
