She appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
Tributes had been paid throughout the day to Widdecombe, who served for years as a Conservative member of parliament and had backed Reform UK since 2023.
Reform leader Nigel Farage said Widdecombe had a “decisive role in getting Brexit over the line” when she stood as a Brexit Party candidate in 2019.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Widdecombe as a “formidable politician,” while former leader Iain Duncan Smith told the Today program that she “gave her opinions even if you didn’t necessarily look for them.”
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The Prime Minister was saddened to hear of the death of Ann Widdecombe. She was a distinctive figure in British politics for many years, and he pays tribute to the conviction and dedication with which she served her country.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
