A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering the former MP Ann Widdecombe.
The white British national remains in police custody after being arrested at Newton Abbot, a market town around 25 miles away from Ms Widdecombe’s Devon home.
Earlier today, Devon and Cornwall Police announced the force was investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of the 78-year-old at the Dartmoor property.
The force confirmed they were investigating the chance that foul play could have been involved after Ms Widdecombe was found dead with serious injuries on Thursday morning.
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman confirmed the case was not being treated as an incident of terrorism.
He told reporters: “Detectives from the force major crime investigation team have launched a murder investigation, and are conducting extensive inquiries into the circumstances surrounding Ms Widdecombe’s death.
“While we work closely with our partners and consulted counter-terrorism policing as part of our initial inquiries, the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
“A cordon remains in place at the property, while specialist officers continue forensic examinations.
“There are road closures in place around the scene, and the public will see significant police activity in the area while detectives and other officers continue house-to-house and CCTV inquiries.
“This is an extremely tragic incident. Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of Miss Widdecombe in this very difficult time.”
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