Police under fire over Widdecombe terror investigation

Devon and Cornwall Police is under fire for its handling of the Ann Widdecombe murder case after it was declared a terrorist investigation.

The force had repeatedly insisted there was nothing to suggest the crime had been politically motivated or linked to terrorism in a series of public statements issued following the news of her death on Friday.

But on Monday lunchtime, the head of UK counter-terrorism policing announced it had taken over the investigation following the discovery of “new information or evidence”.

A 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, who was arrested on Saturday evening on suspicion of murder, was rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Laurence Taylor, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “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.”

While the motive behind the alleged murder remains unclear, Devon and Cornwall Police has come under fire for seemingly talking down the possibility Miss Widdecombe may have been killed because of her views.

Miss Widdecombe was the Reform UK spokesman on immigration and justice, but the force repeatedly rejected suggestions she may have been deliberately targeted.

Jonathan Hall, the Government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said he was “surprised” the force guided the public away from the idea of there being a political element in the killing of Miss Widdecombe, and added that it had “broken one of the golden rules of investigations”.

He said: “I don’t understand why Devon and Cornwall Police were steering the public away from the idea that this was a terrorist case and I don’t know why they didn’t simply say they had an open mind as to the motivation.

“I think they probably broke one of the golden rules of investigations, which is not to comment on live investigations in case new facts emerge. So that aspect is slightly regrettable.”

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, warned on Saturday that the murder may have been premeditated and party sources accused the police of “gaslighting” the public over the suspect’s motive.

Political opponents had accused Reform of using Miss Widdecombe’s death as propaganda and said the party was scaremongering.

Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, demanded an apology for those accusations on Monday after it emerged the investigation was now being treated as terror-related.

Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman, also criticised the police for asking people not to speculate on the crime’s motive, saying such calls meant “shut up and accept the establishment narrative”.

Gawain Towler, a Reform UK board member, said: “In a time when trust in the police is at an all-time low, this just plays into that they are trying to massage public opinion rather than do the job of investigating a brutal murder.

“By appearing to rule something out and then a few days later bringing it back in, they look manipulative and that’s a shame.”

In a statement in the House of Commons, Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, said the circumstances of Miss Widdecombe’s death were “extremely distressing”.

She confirmed that the case was now being treated as terrorism and added that the suspect in custody was not known to the Government’s anti-extremism Prevent programme.

In the wake of the killing, she also confirmed that she was willing to meet Mr Farage to discuss security, even though he was not an MP having resigned to force a by-election.

She said: “I recognise the particular concern that the Reform Party will feel today. And of course, Nigel Farage, the party’s leader.

“I am happy to offer a meeting for Mr Farage with the chair of RAVEC, the independent body within the Home Office that manages the security of those in public life.

“I will also be looking at what security guidance can be provided to former Members of Parliament.”

Natalie Fleet, the safeguarding minister, was forced to apologise after she attacked Mr Farage and his party over their claims that police and parliamentary authorities were failing to protect his MPs.

In a now-deleted X post on Sunday night, Ms Fleet had written: “Nigel Farage and his gang of binmen get the same security as the rest of us. Sick of the faux outrage.

“None of them cared when a senior Reform UK politician was sharing my death threats!”

Ms Fleet subsequently withdrew the post after a backlash led by Lee Anderson, the Reform MP for Ashfield.

The suspect in the case is believed to have driven 300 miles from his home in South Yorkshire to the village of Haytor in Devon last Wednesday. Neighbours reported seeing him leave his home in his red Vauxhall Corsa at around 7am that day.

Police believe Miss Widdecombe was attacked on Wednesday at about 12.30pm, shortly before she was due on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show.

ITV News published a series of WhatsApp images that appeared to show that Miss Widdecombe stopped responding to messages from a TV producer after the approximate time police believe the attack took place that day.

Her body was discovered on Thursday lunchtime when a neighbour checked on her after her agent raised concerns that she was not responding to messages.

On Friday, a 26-year-old man from Newton Abbot was arrested on suspicion of murder but was subsequently released without charge.

The current suspect was arrested by counter-terrorism police and officers from the South Yorkshire force at around 9pm on Saturday.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]