Floral tributes left for Sir David Amess are being moved from the church where he was tragically stabbed to death.

Council bosses say the flowers, balloons, photos and written messages to the Southend West MP will be relocated to Conservative club at Iveagh Hall. 

The hall was home to Sir David's constituency office. 

A council vehicle arrived at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh on Tuesday lunchtime and staff dressed in suits carefully loaded some of the tributes into the back of the van.

Southend Council says the decision to move the tributes was agreed by Sir David's family.

Echo:

The flowers were blessed yesterday at 4pm by Father Jeffrey Woolnough and other faith leaders.

Signs displayed outside the church by Southend Council today said: “Thank you for paying your respects to Sir David Amess MP.

“If you have already left a tribute here, please note that we have carefully moved these to Iveagh Hall … Sir David’s constituency office.

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“If you are here to lay flowers, we would respectfully ask you to take your flowers to this address.”

Southend Council leader, Ian Gilbert, said: “The vast number of floral tributes and touching messages of condolence on display is extremely comforting to see.

"It highlights how many people Sir David helped throughout his illustrious career as an MP, and the huge amount of respect people feel for him.

“Staff have been very conscious to do this work sensitively and in a dignified way, and that is why faith leaders visited the site yesterday afternoon and the Mayor’s macebearer started the process today, ahead of parks staff continuing the work to carefully move the flowers to Iveagh Hall.

"We now respectfully ask that any further floral tributes are also left at Iveagh Hall, where a Book of Condolence is available for people to sign.”

The notice said that a Book of Condolence is also available at Iveagh Hall and at the Civic Centre in Southend.

Iveagh Hall is based at 67 Leigh Road.