[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The brutal murder of Ann Widdecombe was last night being treated as a suspected politically motivated terrorist attack.In a dramatic escalation, counter terrorism officers yesterday took over the investigation into the killing of the former Tory minister. It came after the discovery of Russian communist literature and other items of political ideology at the home of the suspected killer.
And it marked a U-turn after the local force, Devon and Cornwall Police, spent days insisting that there was no link to terrorism. Officers, it is understood, are probing whether the 78-year-old may have been bludgeoned to death in a premeditated attack on Reform UK.
They are looking at whether a self-radicalised loner may have considered the pensioner an 'easy target' in comparison to more prominent party figures, such as Nigel Farage, who have security.
When the bloodied body of the former prisons minister was found on Thursday morning, officers initially focused on a theory that she had disturbed a burglar at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor, even though nothing had been taken from the £600,000 property.
Two days after the murder, detectives arrested a local labourer in error, before later detaining a 28-year-old man 270 miles away in Rotherham on Saturday night. The Mail has learnt that items of varying political ideology, including Russian material, have been found at the suspect's home and on electronic devices.
But Sherlocks do not believe there is any evidence of hostile state involvement.
Counter terrorism police are investigating whether the 'lone wolf' targeted Ms Widdecombe due to her political views, which she frequently expressed during regular appearances on TV and radio defending Reform as the party's immigration and justice front man. The former Strictly contestant was well known for her beliefs, including opposition to
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed yesterday that the British white suspect, who the Mail is not naming, was not known to the Government's deradicalisation programme, Prevent. Police are making inquiries about his mental health.
Officers believe the murder on Wednesday may have been premeditated. The accused is not thought to have known the victim, whose home had featured on a TV programme broadcast just days before her death.
The unmarried former MP, who has lived alone since her retirement in 2010, was last seen on a Talk TV show around 8am on Wednesday.
She had been scheduled to appear on Channel 5's Matt Allwright show that afternoon but suddenly stopped responding to WhatsApp exchanges with a producer.
Police believe she was attacked at around 12.30pm, nearly 24 hours before she was found by her gardener.
Devon and Cornwall Police waited more than 24 hours to announce a murder investigation, before Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said on Friday night: 'The incident is not being treated as terrorism.'
When asked if Ms Widdecombe had been targeted because of her politics, he replied: 'No... it's early stages of the investigation. I've got no information to believe that it is a politically motivated crime.'The suspect was later arrested at his home in Rotherham at 9pm on Saturday after police traced a car allegedly parked on the victim's drive during the attack. CCTV from early on Wednesday showed a figure leaving the Rotherham address, appearing to carry a wooden stick in his shorts pocket.
As the force announced Saturday's arrest, Mr Longman again denied any suggestion of a political motive. He said: 'There is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident. At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it was politically motivated.'
Yesterday the probe was taken over by Counterterrorism Policing South East which announced the suspect had been re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
The killing has reignited fears about MPs' safety following the murders of David Amess and Jo Cox.
The suspect, who remains in jug, was the son of a teaching assistant. Relatives said he had become reclusive after the sudden death of his engineer father last year.
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One neighbour who knew the suspect said he was 'in shock' over the arrest, describing him as 'quiet as a mouse' and from 'a loving family'.
A second neighbour, who also asked not to be named, said the suspect's father was admitted to hospital before Christmas 'and never came out'.
The father had previously been made redundant and developed diabetes, which led to him having a leg amputated. According to the neighbour, the family tragedy appeared to lead to a change in the suspect's behaviour.
'I don't know if that had an impact or not but I certainly saw him out and about less,' he said. 'I remember that the Christmas decorations were still up in March or April, which I thought was quite strange.'
At a bakery a short distance from the home in Rotherham, a member of staff also expressed surprise.
She said: 'I knew his mum and his grandparents, they were lovely. I used to see him as a little boy with his mum but I haven't seen her for many years now.'
Today, it emerged that Ms Widdecombe gave a tour of her £600,000 Dartmoor home for a television programme broadcast just five days before she was allegedly murdered. The show featured the kitchen where she was found dead, as well as the property's front door, driveway and grounds.
While there is no suggestion that the TV appearance led to her death or inspired any attacker, a former counter-terrorism detective at Scotland Yard said that 'unscrupulous' individuals do target homes in this way.
David Videcette, who investigated the 7/7 bombings said: 'This sort of thing is a real problem nowadays. There are plenty of free tools for unscrupulous individuals to identify where you live from a photo or video, there's even more when you're prepared to pay.'
Eearly on Wednesday morning, the suspect, who lived alone, was spotted on CCTV leaving his terraced home and getting into a run-down vehicle parked on the driveway.
'He comes out of the house and walks towards the red car,' said a neighbour familiar with the footage, which has been shared with police.
Forensic officers were still searching the man's mid-terraced address in the Rotherham's Kimberworth Park area on Sunday as uniformed officers stood guard outside.
Neighbours said around a dozen armed officers had surrounded the property at around 9pm on Saturday before knocking loudly at the door.
Courtney Foster, 25, who lives next door with partner Rayed Astle, 26, said: 'We were in the kitchen and just saw the officers running up. Some were armed. Then they banged on the door very loudly.
'They didn't smash the door down because he opened it. They asked him his name, he confirmed it and they took him away.'
Ms Foster said police also took the man's pet labradoodle, adding: 'There were about 12 officers and quite a few cars. It was quite a shock.'
Describing the man, Mr Astle said that he had barely spoken to anyone since his father, who he had moved in with around a year ago, died last December.
'He was someone you'd have a conversation with but that changed after his dad died. He became very quiet. He kept himself to himself and wouldn't really speak to anyone,' he added.
Ms Foster added: 'He was always in the house and I don't think he worked.'
Other neighbours said the man's red Vauxhall Corsa 'barely moved' from the drive – to the extent it had begun to rust with weeds growing on it.
'The car was normally left outside for long periods, so it just stood out that he was driving away so early in the morning,' one added.
Another local said: 'He is one of three brothers but the others moved out, so he was living on his own.
'His father died before Christmas and I think it affected him. He seemed to change because he became even more introverted.
'You would barely see him – to the point where you'd presume the house was unoccupied. Now and again you'd see the upstairs light on but that was it.'
One of the man's brothers is believed to live in Devon, while a second brother and his mother, who is thought to have worked as a teaching assistant, are said to live locally.