Killing of MP was a terrorist incident: Police

The killing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess has been declared a terrorist incident by police.

Sir David was stabbed multiple times at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex on Friday (October 15).

The Metropolitan Police said there was "a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism".

A 25-year-old British man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder, and police said they were not seeking anyone else over the death.

As part of the investigation, officers are currently carrying out searches at two addresses in the London area, the Met said.

The force believes the man acted alone but inquiries into the circumstances of the incident are continuing.

The man is in custody in Essex, police added.

Government sources have said he is a British national who, from initial inquiries, appears to be of Somali heritage.

Sir David, 69, who represented Southend West, was holding a constituency surgery - where voters can meet their MP and discuss concerns - at Belfairs Methodist Church on Friday when he was attacked at 12:05 BST.

Essex Police chief constable BJ Harrington said Sir David was "simply dispensing his duties when his life was horrifically cut short".

The Met said its counter-terrorism officers were working with colleagues from Essex Police and the Eastern Region Specialist Operations Unit (ERSOU).

"The fatal stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea has tonight been declared as a terrorist incident, with the investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing," the force said.

"The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism."

Officers are appealing for anyone with any information about the incident, or those who have footage from CCTV, dash cams or video doorbell, to contact them.

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

He held the seat in 1992, but switched to nearby Southend West at the 1997 election.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, he was known politically as a social conservative and as a prominent campaigner against abortion and on animal welfare issues.

He was also known for his championing of Southend, including a long-running campaign to win city status for the town._BBC