A huge mound of floral tributes have today piled up outside the church in which Sir David Amess was stabbed to death, as mourners prepare to celebrate the Tory MP’s life in a special church service this evening.
Conservative colleague Mark Francois was among the many to lay flowers at at the scene near Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Sir David, 69, was killed on Friday.
Mr Francois was visibly emotional as he kissed the bouquet before laying it down. ‘He was the best bloke I ever knew,’ Mr Francois said tearfully.
The Rayleigh and Wickford MP, 56, said that he would say more about his friend at the House of Commons tribute this week.
Some of those paying their respects laid candles and personal photographs they had taken with the MP, who had represented the Southend West seat since 1997. Others laid messages of love, support and sympathy, who was first elected as an MP in 1982.
It comes as a vigil is set to be held at St Michael and All Angels Church in Leigh-on-Sea. The vigil is due to start at 4pm.
Conservative Colleague Mark Francois was among the many to lay flowers at at the scene near Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Sir David was killed on Friday
Some laid candles and personal photographs they had taken with the MP, who had represented the Southend West area since 1997 and had been since 1982. Others laid messages of love, support and sympathy
A service of reflection is held in memory of British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death during a meeting with constituents, at the church of St Michael’s and all Angels, in Leigh-on-Sea, Britain
A candle and a photo at a vigil at St Michael & All Angels church in Leigh-on-Sea Essex in memory of Sir David, who died after being stabbed in the town on Friday
People listen to songs before the start of a special service in honour of Sir David Amess at St Michael’s and All Angels Church
It comes after constituents last night went to St Peters Church in Leigh-on-Sea to shed a tear at the shocking death of their beloved MP and on Saturday afternoon dozens of well-wishers lit candles and gathered to remember the life of Sir David outside the town’s Civic Centre.
Outside Southend police station, Home Secretary Priti Patel said a ‘balance’ must be struck between the accessibility and safety of MPs as questions are raised over whether face-to-face meetings should be held in constituencies in the future.
Southend faith leaders called Sir David’s death an ‘indefensible atrocity’ and described the father-of-five as an ‘upstanding friend to our Muslim community’ who had attended weddings, mosque openings and the launch of the town’s first Muslim Scout group.
In a statement published on the Essex Jamme Masjid website, on behalf of ‘all Southend mosques’, they said their thoughts and prayers were with Sir David’s family, friends and colleagues. It comes five years after Labour MP for Batley and Spen Jo Cox was murdered on her way to a surgery in 2016.
It comes as it was today claimed Sir David received an ‘upsetting’ threat in the days before he was fatally stabbed inside a church at a constituency surgery in Essex.
The threat was reported to police, but the Conservative MP decided to go ahead with the surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea on Friday.
Essex Police received a report of the threat, but are not connecting it with Friday’s attack, reported The Telegraph.
Conservative MP Sir David Amess is said to have received an ‘upsetting’ threat in the days before the constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, according to a close colleague
Sir David poses at the wedding of his daughter on August 23 earlier this year. He was stabbed multiple times inside a church while meeting constituents in Essex
Members of the public, including a veteran, pay their respects at as a large number of floral tributes have been left at the scene of the fatal stabbing
Police officers erect a tent outside a house in north London, thought to be in relation to the death of the Conservative MP. A man has been arrested and officers are not looking for anyone else
An ongoing investigation into Sir David’s death has been focusing on multiple areas including Camden, Croydon and another unspecified address in London
John Lamb, former Leigh-on-Sea mayor and a close colleague of Sir David, said the MP had received an ‘upsetting’ threat in the few days prior to the killing.
He told the Telegraph: ‘The police were alerted about some sort of threat made against Sir David.
‘There’s been no threat received through the local Conservative Party offices that I know of, but Sir David had received a threat against him.
‘I don’t know the nature of it, but it was rather upsetting and the police were alerted. It was in the past few days.’