Reform UK has called on police to reopen their investigation into an attack on an aide to party leader Nigel Farage, following the murder of former politician Ann Widdecombe.
Party officials fear the early-hours attack on political adviser George Cottrell outside his Chelsea home may be connected to a series of targeted incidents that culminated in the killing of Ms Widdecombe in July.
Mr Cottrell, who is known by the nickname "Posh" George, was jumped outside his west London property in April, just days after Mr Farage revealed his own house had been firebombed. The adviser managed to flee on foot after being grabbed at by assailants wearing blue latex gloves.
The Metropolitan Police initially treated the attack as an isolated attempted robbery and later closed the investigation. The force said officers had carried out extensive enquiries but were unable to identify any suspects, adding that the case could be reopened if further information comes to light.
Suspicions of a targeted campaign
However, heightened security concerns across the party have prompted fresh demands for Scotland Yard to reconsider the case. Reform aides pointed to a profile of Mr Cottrell published in Tatler magazine the previous August, which disclosed that Mr Farage was often at his west London house. Officials believe this detail may have made the residence an accessible target for individuals seeking to harm the party leader.
Reform UK is a right-wing British political party. Ms Widdecombe, a former Conservative Cabinet minister who later joined Reform UK, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, on July 9.
Calls to link police investigations
The calls to re-examine Mr Cottrell's case come after counter-terrorism police confirmed they are reopening their probe into the arson attack at Mr Farage's home last year. Speaking about the incident, Mr Farage said: "It was an outright arson attempt. I wasn't home at the time, but when I came back I found the damage."
A Reform UK source said detectives should now look at whether the events are connected. "In the current climate, it would seem strange to dismiss the possibility of a link between the incident involving George, the firebombing of Nigel's house and murder of Ann Widdecombe," the source said. "The police must keep an open mind, even if means re-opening George's case."
A spokesman for Counter-Terrorism Police confirmed yesterday that the investigation into the murder of Ms Widdecombe remains ongoing.
