A police cordon remains in place at Widdecombe’s Rest – the name Ann Widdecombe gave to her Dartmoor home as a symbol of her retirement.
That name has now taken on a new, and tragic, significance.
The residents of the tiny village of Haytor Vale – where neighbours are accustomed to feeling so safe they can leave their doors unlocked – are a community in shock.
Home to fewer than 200 people and nestled on the edge of Dartmoor, this peaceful valley is reeling with the knowledge that police suspect foul play in the death of the former government minister.
Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday morning. As a police investigation and manhunt continues – and amid the tributes and grief – there is also whispered concern that a perpetrator could still be at large.
“It shouldn’t have happened, it’s horrific,” said one neighbour. “It’s very, very safe around here.”
Another said: “It’s unbelievable someone could do something like that.”
Meanwhile, the walkers, families and nature lovers who usually populate the village during the summer months have been replaced by police, forensics officers and journalists.