Ann Widdecombe 'murder' suspect was not known to Prevent anti-extremism scheme, reveals Shabna Mahmood as counter terror police probe ex-MP's death

The prime suspect in the murder of Ann Widdecombe was not known to Prevent, the Home Secretary said today. 

Specialist officers from Counter Terrorism Policing have taken over the investigation into the death of the 78-year-old former minister in Devon last week.

A 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday.

Making a statement in the Commons about the case, Shabana Mahmood said the man had not been referred to Prevent, the anti-extremist programme. 

'I can confirm to the House that this man was not known to Prevent,' she told MPs. 

'The police have cautioned against speculating about the case – that is the right thing to do for Ann's family and friends.'

The suspect was captured on CCTV climbing into his car with what appeared to be a large baton or pole more than a foot long bulging from his left pocket on the day she was allegedly beaten to death.

It also emerged today that Ms Widdecombe gave a tour of her £600,000 Dartmoor home for a television programme broadcast just five days before she was allegedly murdered. The show featured the kitchen where she was found dead, as well as the property's front door, driveway and grounds. 

The suspect, who the Daily Mail is not naming, was arrested after a dozen armed officers descended on his council house in South Yorkshire. Until today, Devon and Cornwall Police had insisted there was no evidence to suggest the killing was politically motivated.

But in a dramatic twist, the suspect has now been re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said new information and evidence had come to light, prompting it to take over the investigation. The nature of that new evidence or information has not been revealed.

Specialist officers from across the UK Counter Terrorism Policing network have been working alongside Devon and Cornwall Police since a murder inquiry was launched last week.

Laurence Taylor, the head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said: 'Building on the progress made by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police, we now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigation.

'We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.

'Our priority is to progress this investigation as quickly as possible, using all the capabilities available to us. If anyone has information, we urge them to contact police.

'We would like to thank local communities, the wider public and the media for their ongoing support and patience, and ask them to continue supporting us during the next stage of the investigation.'

The suspect in Ms Widdecombe's murder was captured on CCTV leaving the property on a  Rotherham estate shortly before 8am on Wednesday with what appears to be a pole in the pocket of his shorts

Officers were called to Ms Widdecombe's home at Haytor, Devon, by the ambulance service at around 11.40am on Thursday, July 9.

Sadly, the former Tory MP was found dead inside the property with serious injuries. She may have been deceased for around 24 hours. 

The former minister showcased her home on Quest's Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House on July 2 – though the episode was filmed in 2022. 

Ms Widdecombe gave a guided tour of the property to host Angus Ashworth and told him how much she loved the 'peace, quiet and solitude in the area'.

The show sees Mr Ashworth and his team help famous faces clear their homes of clutter.

Ms Widdecombe showed the auctioneer around her garden, conservatory, gym, library, dining room and the kitchen where she was found dead last week. 

The Tory MP poignantly described how happy she was to have retired to the home, close to 'the idyllic Devonshire coast'.

She added: 'I came down here quite deliberately to be as remote as I could, as was sensible.

'I've got what I want, which is peace, quiet, solitude. Of course, I'm friendly with some of the neighbours. I'm not a recluse.'

While there is no suggestion that the TV appearance led to her death or inspired any attacker, a former counter-terrorism detective at Scotland Yard said that 'unscrupulous' individuals do target homes in this way.

David Videcette, who investigated the 7/7 bombings said: 'This sort of thing is a real problem nowadays. There're plenty of free tools for unscrupulous individuals to identify where you live from a photo or video, there's even more when you're prepared to pay.'

Ms Widdecombe greets Angus Ashworth as she gives a tour of the £600,000 Dartmoor home for a TV show broadcast just five days before she was killed

The show, Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House, included shots of the kitchen where she died

Ms Widdecombe showed off items that she wished to sell at auction, including a rare Japanese dish and a teddy bear

The show also showed the exterior of the house and the drive – but the name plate was removed and location masked

Ms Widdecombe made £1,445 from selling items in her home at auction, including a rare Japanese dish and a teddy bear.

'Part of the retirement plan was to have a clear-out of old things,' she said.

On the day Ms Widdecombe died, the suspect was filmed climbing into a red hatchback before allegedly travelling some 267 miles – a journey of around five hours – to her remote property.

Police believe the former Tory minister, who was found dead the following morning, was killed shortly after midday on Wednesday.

Neighbours described the man held over her death as recluse and an unemployed 'loner' who rarely left home.

The added that he had become increasingly introverted following his father's death last year.

But early on Wednesday morning, the suspect, who lived alone, was spotted on CCTV leaving his terraced home and getting into a run-down vehicle parked on the driveway.

'He comes out of the house and walks towards the red car,' said a neighbour familiar with the footage, which has been shared with police.

Ms Widdecombe was killed in her home on Wednesday last week and discovered 24 hours later

They said he appeared to be carrying a stick concealed under his top before placing it inside the car. 

'It looked like a wooden stick or an iron bar, about a foot long, and it was pushing up underneath his T-shirt as he got into the car,' the person added.

'He seemed calm and there is nothing to suggest anything unusual was happening.'

Ms Widdecombe's death has sparked an outpouring of grief with tributes to the former Tory minister. 

On Monday, Jeremy Vine broke down on live TV today over the alleged murder of his close friend and regular guest.

The broadcaster wiped away tears as he revealed that a member of his team had been in contact with the former Tory minister 'by chance' on the day she died.

Ms Widdecombe appeared on Channel 5's Jeremy Vine Show more than 50 times and was also a regular on his BBC Radio 2 programme.

Forensic officers were seen heading into the house, after it was confirmed there is no evidence to suggest the murder was politically motivated

Forensic officers were still searching the man's mid-terraced address in the Rotherham's Kimberworth Park area on Sunday as uniformed officers stood guard outside.

Neighbours said around a dozen armed officers had surrounded the property at around 9pm on Saturday before knocking loudly at the door.

Courtney Foster, 25, who lives next door with partner Rayed Astle, 26, said: 'We were in the kitchen and just saw the officers running up. Some were armed. Then they banged on the door very loudly.

'They didn't smash the door down because he opened it. They asked him his name, he confirmed it and they took him away.'

Ms Foster said police also took the man's pet labradoodle, adding: 'There were about 12 officers and quite a few cars. It was quite a shock.'

Describing the man, Mr Astle said that he had barely spoken to anyone since his father, who he had moved in with around a year ago, died last December.

'He was someone you'd have a conversation with but that changed after his dad died. He became very quiet. He kept himself to himself and wouldn't really speak to anyone,' he added.

Ms Foster added: 'He was always in the house and I don't think he worked.'

Other neighbours said the man's red Vauxhall Corsa 'barely moved' from the drive – to the extent it had begun to rust with weeds growing on it.

Police were searching an address in Rotherham on Sunday where they arrested a man on suspicion of Ms Widdecombe's murder

A cordon remains at the bungalow in Haytor, Devon, and police said locals will notice a heightened presence for the next few days

Floral tributes have been left on the grass outside her home, including a framed photograph of Ms Widdecombe

'The car was normally left outside for long periods, so it just stood out that he was driving away so early in the morning,' one added.

Another local said: 'He is one of three brothers but the others moved out, so he was living on his own.

'His father died before Christmas and I think it affected him. He seemed to change because he became even more introverted.

'You would barely see him – to the point where you'd presume the house was unoccupied. Now and again you'd see the upstairs light on but that was it.'

Another resident, who witnessed the arrest, said: 'The police came at about 9.10pm. There were about a dozen officers armed with guns, both in the front garden and the back garden.

'They knocked on the door and he opened up. They asked his name and he was taken away.

'It was quite quiet, really. There was no commotion… It was very quiet how they turned up. There was no lights, no noise – our Ring doorbell didn't even go off.'

Neighbour Kingsley Whybrow, 29, said: 'I've never seen anyone come in and out of that house, ever.

'He drove a red Corsa that was parked outside – it had started to rust and there was vegetation growing on it. They came at about 3am to tow it away.'

One of the man's brothers is believed to live in Devon, while a second brother and his mother, who is thought to have worked as a teaching assistant, are said to live locally.

Ms Widdecombe had stopped responding to text messages regarding a TV interview around the time police believe she had been attacked.

She had been due to appear remotely as a guest on Channel 5's Matt Allwright show when she suddenly stopped responding to a producer at 12.19pm, according to ITV News.

The messages show she did not open a reply timestamped 12.48pm asking her to join the Zoom meeting which she failed to attend.

Reform UK is said to be reviewing emails sent to Ms Widdecombe in the weeks before her murder in search for any threats against her life.

The party has also said it is committed to providing round-the-clock security to its MPs in the wake of her death.