UKIP man’s wife found ‘murdered’
Suspect arrested after death at home
THE wife of a UKIP election candidate has been found dead at home, sparking a murder investigation.
A man was being questioned yesterday over the death of Anne Searle, 62, who lived in the £400,000 house with ex-Marine husband Stephen, 64.
Police and 999 crews fought to save the mum of three, but she died at the scene in Stowmarket, Suffolk.
Mr Searle was a UKIP county councillor in Suffolk until last June and stood at the general election for the party.
Suffolk Police said a 64-year-old man, who was known to the former pub landlady, had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The force refused to say if the arrested man was Mr Searle, who also sold poppies. He stood in the Suffolk Central and Ipswich North constituency for UKIP, which the Tories won, and was once photographed with former leader Nigel Farage.
There was a heavy police presence outside the home on a quiet cul-de-sac yesterday as forensic teams carried out a search of the fourbedroom house.
Three cars, including a silver Jaguar with a personalised number plate, were parked on the cordoned-off drive.
A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “I saw a load of flashing lights outside. What an awful thing to happen at this time of year.”
East of England Ambulance Service said they were called on Saturday night to “a report of a woman not breathing. Despite best efforts, the patient died”.