Shotley peninsula MP James Cartlidge has added his tribute to fellow Conservative politician Sir David Amess, who died after being stabbed just after noon on Friday (15 October).

Sir David was meeting Southend West constituents at a regular surgery in Leigh-on-Sea

Essex Police said they were called to reports of a stabbing at 12.05 yesterday and arrested a British man of Somali heritage.

Police recovered a knife and said they were not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident, which has been described as a terrorist attack.

Sir David was treated at the scene for 90 minutes but it was later confirmed he had died from his wounds.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the political world.

Mr Cartlidge, whose South Suffolk constituency includes the Shotley peninsula, said in a Tweet: "Utterly shocked and saddened by the tragic death of my colleague David Amess.

"He was always kind and gentle, unfalteringly polite and totally devoted to serving his constituents as the embodiment of public service.

"My thoughts and prayers with his family, team and all those close to him."

Sir David, 69, had been an MP since 1983 and was married with five children.

A Conservative backbencher for nearly forty years, he entered Parliament in 1983 as the MP for Basildon.

He switched to Southend West at the 1997 election.

He was known politically as a social conservative and as a prominent campaigner against abortion and on animal welfare issues.