Sir David Amess’s widow views tributes at church where he died

Julia Amess, the widow of the Conservative MP Sir David Amess, has visited the site of her husband’s death.

On Monday morning, she arrived at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, with tearful friends and family to view hundreds of flowers and tributes left in memory of her husband.

Sir David was stabbed multiple times during a constituency surgery on Friday and later succumbed to his injuries.

Wiping tears from her eyes, his widow read messages left by well-wishers. Family members, who stayed for 15 minutes, comforted one another, with an arm around Mrs Amess throughout the visit.

The family had said in a statement on Sunday that they are “absolutely broken” but thanked everyone for their “wonderful, wonderful tributes” following his “cruel and violent death”.

They urged people to “set aside hatred and work towards togetherness” and said Sir David, a father of five, “was a patriot and a man of peace”.

During their visit, Rev Clifford Newman, the minister of Belfairs Methodist Church, shared words with Mrs Amess. He later led the group in a short private address as they stood, heads bowed, in a semi-circle.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said on Monday that the Prime Minister believes Sir David’s death “cannot get in the way of democracy”.

“We will not be cowed by those who seek to divide us and spread hate and the PM has been struck by the bravery and commitment to serving constituents expressed by many MPs following Sir David’s death,” the spokesman said.

When asked whether surgeries should continue in person or move online, he said that was a decision for individual MPs.