LONDON: UK Conservative MP Sir David Amess (69) has died after being stabbed multiple times while attending a constituency surgery at a church in Essex on Friday.
Essex Police have arrested a 25-year-old man at the scene on suspicion of murder after an incident at 12.05 pm (Local time). “A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed in Leigh-on-Sea. We were called to an address in Eastwood Road North shortly after 12.05 pm today (Friday 15 October).
“We attended and found a man injured. He was treated by emergency services but, sadly, died at the scene. A 25-year-old man was quickly arrested after officers arrived at the scene on suspicion of murder and a knife was recovered.
A strong supporter of Brexit, Sir David has been the Tory MP for Southend West since 1997 and prior to that represent Basildon, also in Essex, since 1983, Sputnik reported.
Sir David Amess has been remembered as “Mr Southend” at a vigil held in his memory. Born in east London, the 69-year-old had been Southend West MP since 1997 – and was a keen advocate of the town’s bid for city status.
A service at Saint Peter’s Church in Eastwood Lane, close to where Sir David was killed, was held on Friday evening to remember him – where he was described by a priest as “Mr Southend”.
Amess is the latest British MPs to have been attacked at his weekly constituency “surgery” with voters, which are typically held on Fridays when parliament is not sitting.
Pro-EU lawmaker Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by in 2016 in the run-up to the Brexit referendum. The Jo Cox Foundation, which was set up in her memory, tweeted that it was “horrified to hear the news of the attack” on Amess. “We are thinking of him, his family and loved ones at this distressing time,” it added.
Another Labour MP, Stephen Timms, was stabbed multiple times during an event in 2010, but recovered from “potentially life-threatening injuries” and is still an MP. Timms said he was “appalled” at the latest attack.
In January 2000, Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones was injured and his assistant killed by a man wielding a ceremonial sword at a constituency surgery in Cheltenham, western England.
Hearts full of shock; Boris Johnson
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed grief over the killing of UK Conservative MP Sir David Amess. “All our hearts are full of shock and sadness at the death of Sir David Amess MP. He was one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics,” Boris Johnson tweeted.
The police say that it was a terrorist attack. Police said they had detained the 25-year-old man suspected of the attack on the 69-years-old lawmaker. A report says that the arrested man is Somalia national.
“The fatal stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea has tonight been declared as a terrorist incident, with the investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing,” police said in a statement on late Friday.