Ann Widdecombe was found dead at her home on Dartmoor on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries — and the police force investigating her alleged murder has been savaged by inspectors for letting unskilled officers lead complex inquiries.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services found that Devon and Cornwall Police was allocating crimes to officers who were not appropriately skilled and said there was a lack of support for those dealing with complex cases. The force is one of 14 across the country that failed to meet the required Level One grade in new performance standards published on Wednesday. Of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, 29 were assessed at the highest Level One, 13 were at Level Two, and only Lincolnshire was graded at Level Three, the second-lowest standard available.
“Devon and Cornwall Police face scathing report after unskilled officers led Ann Widdecombe murder probe”
The inspectors criticised the force's record on carrying out investigations and said it was not bringing enough criminals to justice. In the report, they concluded Devon and Cornwall Police had failed to significantly improve the problems, resulting in a Level Two classification.
The scrutiny comes as the force faces intense pressure over its handling of the Widdecombe murder investigation. Initially, officers arrested a different man and suggested the death was not terror-related. At a press conference on Sunday, Asst Chief Constable Matt Longman said: "At this point, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident, and at this point we are not looking at anyone else in connection with this murder. Detectives remain open-minded about the potential motive. At this stage there is nothing to suggest it was politically motivated."
But Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said both the Prime Minister and the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police had initially told him the death was a burglary gone wrong. He told TalkTV: "They both told me it's a burglary that's gone wrong. I said no it is not – a burglar does not park his car on your drive and walk into the house. A burglar parks in the lay-by down the road and has a getaway driver."
At a press conference on Wednesday, Zia Yusuf, the Reform UK home affairs spokesman, called the initial police response "inadequate" and said Miss Widdecombe's death had been "an assault on democracy itself".
Counter-terror police took over the investigation after new information and evidence came to light suggesting that Miss Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister turned Reform spokesman, was killed in a targeted attack. A 28-year-old man from Rotherham in South Yorkshire remains in custody after his arrest on suspicion of murder and terrorism offences.
The question now hanging over the force: how many other cases have been compromised by its failure to put skilled officers on the job?