HOME secretary Priti Patel has shared her devastation and paid tribute to Mr Southend, Sir David Amess, following his tragic murder

The death of Sir David Amess MP in such awful circumstances has robbed Southend of a dedicated champion and shocked the entire country.

He was a dear friend to me and so many across Essex and our hearts go out to Julia and his family.

David was a principled and compassionate man of the people who provided me with the best example of what it means to be a public servant when I became a fellow Essex MP.

He leaves behind an extraordinary record of dedicated service both to his constituents and his country.

I will always fondly recall him as a kind and cheerful person who mastered the art of civilised, good humour in our politics and brought people together to work on so many causes over the years. He is a huge loss.

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A strong supporter of both human and animal rights, David worked tirelessly for Essex for over 40 years.

He was Mr Southend and Mr Essex to his core, always on hand to support any initiatives to secure investment in our county.

When I set up forums for the county’s MPs to engage with businesses to promote investment in infrastructure and international trade, David was there to back this work; always talking up our county, always giving insights into the history of these issues, and always passionately standing up for Southend.

It is a wonderful and lasting tribute to him that Southend will now become a city.

The whole of the UK is mourning David, who was killed while doing what he loved – hearing from and helping his constituents.

The attack on him is an attack on our very democracy. It is abhorrent.

Keeping the British people safe is my number one priority. Public service naturally relies on public meetings and, as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face contact.

I have instructed all police forces to review MPs’ security with immediate effect.

We have made significant changes since the horrific murder of Jo Cox in 2016 but we will consider what else may now be needed.

What we must ensure, however, is that no one, nor any warped ideology, is allowed to impede the ability of elected representatives to engage with their voters in the way that all MPs do at advice surgeries each and every week.

You should also be reassured that our world-leading law enforcement and intelligence agencies continue to work tirelessly around the clock to keep us safe.

If you have been affected by David’s tragic death, I urge you to explore the support that is available through our victims of terrorism support services. Speak to Victim Support first by phoning free on 0808 168 9111 (24/7), while more information is available at victimsofterrorism.campaign.gov.uk.

David really was a tremendous force for good and an inspirational Essex man.

Our county is a far poorer place without him.

MPs from all sides paid tribute to him in the House of Commons with real warmth, love and affection.

He will always be deeply cherished for his kindness.

Let us all reflect upon his example of serving others with integrity and decency.