The former minister and MEP was found dead at her Dartmoor home on Thursday morning

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering the former Conservative MP and Brexit Party MEP 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 whether foul play was 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."

Specialist officers are continuing to carry out forensic examinations while a police cordon remains in place at Ms Widdecombe's property.

Road closures have been put in place around the scene, and the public was informed of increased police activity in the area.

Detectives alongside supporting officers would be working to carry out house-to-house and CCTV footage, requesting anyone with information to come forward.

The Assistant Chief Constable added his team was "open-minded" in their investigation. However, he added there was no information so far to indicate it was a politically-motivated crime.

He added: "This is an extremely tragic incident. Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of Miss Widdecombe in this very difficult time."

LATEST TRIBUTES TO ANN WIDDECOMBE:

He said it was too early in the investigation to understand whether the suspect was known to Ms Widdecombe, adding: "We remain open-minded throughout the investigation, and we're making those inquiries."

The investigation remains in its "early stages". However, its progress is "moving at significant pace".

The Assistant Chief Constable said: "We are deploying all the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened.

"I would appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident, however insignificant it may seem, to come forward and speak with us."

"I would ask people not to speculate about what might have happened, particularly on social media.

"That’s not only potentially harmful to our investigation, but also deeply distressing to the family and friends of Ms Widdecombe."

Devon and Cornwall Police has established a major incident public portal for the public to submit any relevant information.

Tributes across the political spectrum have poured in throughout the day for the political veteran.

Having already spoken with Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch and Andy Burnham, Sir Keir Starmer urged "everybody to come together at a moment like this".

He said: "This is really shocking news, and my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this awful time for them.

"Ann was a distinguished politician over many, many years with many achievements, and it’s a huge, huge loss."