British police said they had launched a murder investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe, a 78-year-old former government minister whose death was announced earlier on Friday.
Widdecombe was a Conservative member of parliament between 1987 and 2010, and held several junior ministerial positions in former prime minister John Major’s government.
“Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace,” Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement.
“We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible who we believe to be a white male.”
Police said they were called to Widdecombe’s address around midday on Thursday where she was found to have died and sustained serious injuries.
“A cordon remains in place at the property while specialist officers continue forensic examinations,” the statement said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
