He reiterated calls asking people not to speculate, especially about a potential motive, saying this was "unhelpful" for the investigation and "distressing" to Widdecombe's relatives.

Longman said a "heightened" police presence would remain in the area over the coming weeks.

Chief Constable James Vaughan said Devon and Cornwall Police had "mounted an extraordinary response to a horrific murder of a very prominent public figure" and shown "British policing at its very best".

He said the investigation had been running at "lightning pace" over the past 48 hours, adding: "I am really pleased that we have a suspect firmly in custody."

In a statement, Alison Hernandez, police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said it has been a "very unsettling time" for the local community.

"One of the lines that the police are always saying is 'don't speculate' – my view is everyone is going to speculate, but just do it in the safety of your own home or down the pub," she told reporters.

A group of around 40 mourners, including senior Reform figures, gathered in Haytor Vale to pay tribute to Widdecombe on Sunday.

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice told reporters he last spoken to her on Monday and said he "nearly fell over with shock and horror" when he heard of her death.

"We have lost an absolute colossus, a legend in all our lifetime," he told the crowd.

Widdecombe served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone for 23 years, holding ministerial roles in John Major's government between 1994 and 1997.

Following her departure from the Commons in 2010, Widdecombe appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing that year, and was a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother eight years later.

She joined the Brexit Party in 2019 where she represented South West England as its MEP from 2019 to 2020.