Redbridge MPs have reacted to the "appalling" stabbing of Sir David Amess.

The Conservative MP for Southend West, who was once a councillor in Redbridge, was stabbed in Eastwood Road North where he had been holding a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church.

Sir David was treated by emergency services but died at the scene.

Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, tweeted: "Sending all the love in the world to Sir David’s family and friends. The people of his Southend constituency have lost a great champion. Such a lovely, lovely man.

"I can’t believe this has happened again. It is hard to comprehend and impossible to come to terms with."

In a post on Twitter prior to the confirmation of Sir David’s death, Chingford and Woodford Green MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: "My thoughts are with David Amess MP and his family at this awful time.

"Praying for a full recovery following this appalling, shocking news. This angry, violent behaviour cannot be tolerated in politics or any other walk of life."

The former Tory party leader told BBC News: “The reality for us is that we see constituents all the time, both in their houses and in surgeries.

“We’re out and about, we’re always available, we must be available, it’s the most critical bit of what makes the British parliamentary system I think one of the most accessible in the world, and that’s because we want it that way.

“We don’t want to be cowed or frightened into doing something different, and I certainly won’t, and I know my colleagues will feel the same.

“So I hope this is resolved very, very quickly, as I say, but we will certainly want to continue the way that we do things.

“Of course there may be some other elements that may be added to it, but notwithstanding that I want my constituents to have full access and I’m sure David would have felt the same.”

Ilford South MP Sam Tarry said his prayers were with “David, his family and his team” in a tweet.

He added: “He was once a councillor in Mayfield ward, part of Ilford South, and was thoroughly welcoming when I became an MP”.

Essex Police confirmed they were called to an address in Eastwood Road North shortly after noon today (Friday, October 15), where they found a man injured.

He was treated by emergency services but died at the scene, they said.

Officers arrested a 25-year-old man at the scene on suspicion of murder and a knife was recovered.

The man is currently in custody.

An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.”