Barrhead's MP has paid tribute to a fellow politician who has died after being stabbed multiple times at a meeting with constituents.

Sir David Amess, who represented Southend West, in Essex, for the Conservatives, was fatally injured at Belfairs Methodist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea, at around noon on Friday.

East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald, of the SNP, is among those to offer their condolences to his loved ones.

She told the Barrhead News: “The news about Sir David Amess is shocking, and my thoughts are with his family, friends, and his team at this terrible time.

“Sir David was a decent man, and MPs from all parties thought well of him. We are all horrified at such a senseless act of violence while he was just doing his job.

“The abuse and intimidation targeted at MPs, parliamentary staff, and public representatives needs to stop. At its worst, it has resulted in violent attacks on multiple MPs, including the murder of Jo Cox MP and now Sir David Amess.

“For now, my thoughts are very much with his loved ones as they deal with this tragedy, but we need to seriously consider how to change things, because such violence is a threat to our democracy - and it has to stop."

Father-of-five Sir David is the second sitting MP to be killed in such circumstances in the past five years, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 as she attended a constituency surgery.