UK police launch murder investigation into death of former MP Ann Widdecombe

Devon and Cornwall Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of the former British MP Ann Widdecombe, who was 78. According to reporting by ITV News, LBC and other outlets, she was found dead at her home on Dartmoor, in Devon, having sustained serious injuries.

Detectives from the force's Major Crime Investigation Team said they are conducting extensive enquiries into the circumstances of her death. Police have said they believe the person responsible to be a white male. A cordon remained in place at the property while specialist officers carried out forensic examinations.

Widdecombe was a well-known figure in British public life for decades: a former Conservative prisons minister, she later became a Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament and subsequently a Reform UK spokeswoman.

This is a developing story. Details are drawn from statements attributed to Devon and Cornwall Police and reporting by UK news organisations; Belgium Impulse is treating all details as provisional and will update this report as verified information emerges. No arrest details are confirmed at the time of writing.