Village in shock as 'horrific' Ann Widdecombe murder case unfolds

Police tape remains stretched around Widdecombe's Rest, the name Ann Widdecombe gave to her Dartmoor retreat as a symbol of her retirement, now marked by tragic significance. The tiny settlement of Haytor Vale, home to fewer than 200 residents and tucked against the edge of Dartmoor, is a community accustomed to feeling so safe that doors are often left unlocked. Today, that sense of security has shattered. "It shouldn't person happened, it's horrific," said 1 neighbour. "It's very, precise harmless astir here." Another said: "It's unbelievable idiosyncratic could bash thing similar that." Walkers, families and nature lovers who usually fill the lanes during summer have been replaced by police officers, forensic teams and journalists. Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday morning. As the investigation and manhunt continue, tributes flow from politicians and those who knew her on the public stage. Near her Devon home, flowers are propped against a "Please thrust slowly" sign. Locally, there is fear over the loss of a woman who had become "just a person in the community" after moving to the area eighteen years ago. Widdecombe was "a