Uni worker charged after ‘celebrating Ann Widdecombe’s death’ on social media

An Aberdeen University employee has been charged over comments she allegedly made following the death of Ann Widdecombe.

Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and Brexit Party MEP, was found dead in her Dartmoor home on Thursday last week.

Police later said she is thought to have been killed around 24 hours before her body was discovered.

A 28-year-old man was taken into custody on Saturday, three days after Widdecombe – who most recently acted as a spokesperson for Reform UK – is thought to have died.

In the aftermath of the alleged murder, there was significant backlash against comments made online that appeared to celebrate the politician’s death.

While police initially said ‘no criminality has been established’, Aberdeen University employee Heather Herbert, 50, has since been arrested and charged.

The comments were made before it emerged that police were treating Widdecombe’s death as murder.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: ‘We received reports on Saturday, 11 July, 2026 relating to a post made online.

‘Following further assessment, a 50-year-old has been arrested and charged in connection.

‘A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.’

Widdecombe’s death has prompted an outpouring of shock and grief from across the political spectrum and the wider country.

At Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer voiced support for installing a permanent memorial to her in the House of Commons.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.