Jo Cox murder: 'Stunned' public pays tribute to Labour MP in Parliament Square

Mourners paid tribute to the late Labour MP Jo Cox by leaving candles, flowers and messages on Parliament Square, Westminster, on 17 June. Cox, 41, was fatally shot and stabbed after holding a constituency surgery in her West Yorkshire seat of Batley and Spen on 16 June.

The mother of two was first elected to the House of Commons, which stands opposite the square, at the 2015 general election. A 52-year-old man, named locally as Thomas Mair, has been arrested by West Yorkshire Police.

The mood was solemn when IBTimes UK visited Parliament Square, with some members of the public revealing that they were "horrified" and "shocked" by the incident. George and Margaret Aitken, who are on holiday in London from Edinburgh, visited Parliament Square to pay tribute to Cox.

"We are absolutely stunned by this event, you know, it's just awful," the couple told IBTimes UK, describing their reaction to the tragic news as "utter disbelief.

They added: "It shouldn't happen any time, but why to somebody who is doing good for her constituency. Everybody that's been interviewed at her home constituency have nothing but good to say about her."

Kathryn, another mourner who laid flowers for Cox and declined to give her second name, said: "I'm really saddened by hear death and inspired by her legacy. I think she achieved a lot in a short amount of time and a lot of us could learn from her example."

Cox's killing came with just a week to go before the EU referendum on 23 June. Britain Stronger in Europe, Vote Leave and other groups have suspended their campaigns. The late Labour MP had taken part in a counter demonstration with her husband, Brendan, on the River Thames to Nigel Farage's Brexit flotilla on 15 June.