UPDATED 12.45PM

DEVASTATED politicians across Worcestershire are today paying tribute to murdered Jo Cox - with the county's MPs in mourning.

After yesterday afternoon's tragic events all EU campaigning from both sides of the debate has been suspended for the day.

Mrs Cox, 41, was shot three times with a sawn-off shot gun and stabbed repeatedly with a hunting knife in a sickening attack in her West Yorkshire constituency yesterday afternoon.

It marks the first woman MP to ever be murdered and the first MP to be killed since Conservative Ian Gow in a 1990 IRA bomb blast.

Worcester City Council is today flying its Guldhall flags at half-mast.

Meanwhile, West Mercia Police says its Safer Neighbourhood Policing teams will be calling at the offices of every Worcestershire MP today, to provide "reassurance".

Force chiefs said they will be contacting each MP individually "to ensure they have no safety concerns".

Worcester MP Robin Walker said: "This is really shocking and utterly appalling, it's such a loss.

"She was a young mother and a great MP, it's an awful situation - whatever this was about, no political argument would justify anything like that.

"It was only on Wednesday she was in Westminster with her family and she was making light of all that flotilla nonsense.

"Every time I saw her in the Commons I was impressed, she was a very compassionate, respectful person.

"You only have to look at the aid work she was doing before she became an MP - she wouldn't toe any party line and deserves enormous respect."

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called Mrs Cox's death "an attack on democracy".

On social networking site Twitter, she said: "In this attack on our democracy, we've lost a brave, principled woman who made the world a better place - my heart goes out to Jo's family."

Mid-Worcestershire MP Nigel Huddleston was a fellow member of the new House of Commons intake at last year's general election, and said he was "shocked".

He said: "My heart goes out to her family - the compassion in her husband's statement shows her work lives on."

He has also released a detailed statement which can be read below.

Worcester Labour Party has also released a statement paying tribute to Mrs Cox, a former special advisor to Gordon Brown.

It said: "Everyone in Worcester Labour Party is deeply saddened by the death of Jo Cox - thoughts are with her loved ones."

Labour Councillor Joy Squires, the deputy leader of Worcester City Council, said she was "desperately saddened", calling her "a brave, passionate and compassionate campaigner for good".

Labour Councillor Jabba Riaz, a fellow cabinet member, today called it "a senseless murder, and an attack on democracy and the values we all believe in".

A Worcester-based MEP was also among those to pay tribute to Mrs Cox, saying he feels in "pain" from it.

UKIP's James Carver, who lives in the city, said: "I just think about those little kids and that's what breaks my heart.

"What upsets me is that this is a young wife and a mother, that's what really gets to me.

"She was clearly very highly thought of, and from what I saw in her debates what struck me was her belief in her convictions."

He was due to attend an EU hustings debate at Nunnery Wood High School tonight, going up against Worcester MP Robin Walker, but it has been cancelled as a mark of respect.

Farming Minister George Eustace was also due to visit Malvern today to campaign for Leave, but that has been shelved too.

Among other leading county figures to pay tribute was former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, who lives in Malvern.

She said "life feels emptier" after her death, and that she will treasure her "memories of Jo's joyful friendship" and her passion for the causes she pursued.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has released a statement saying "the whole of the Labour Party and indeed the country, will be in shock at the horrific murder".

Prime Minister David Cameron called it "a tragedy", calling her a "committed and caring MP".

Mrs Cox's husband Brendan, 37, a charity worker, has urged Britain to "unite to fight against the hatred that killer her".

In a statement, he said: "Today is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.

"More difficult, more painful, less joyful, less full of love - I and Jo's friends and family are going to work every moment of our lives to love and nurture our kids and to fight against the hate that killed Jo."

A joint statement from West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion and Amanda Blakeman, assistant chief constable for Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police, said: "Like the rest of the country, we were stunned and saddened by the horrific story that unfolded in West Yorkshire yesterday.

"Our thoughts are with Jo Cox’s family at this tragic time. Her death is an affront to British democracy and values, which she clearly worked so hard to promote and protect.”

“It’s believed the attack on Jo Cox was an isolated incident, and we would like to reassure local communities that there is no intelligence to suggest otherwise.

"All of our local MPs are being contacted individually to ensure they have no safety concerns.

"Safer Neighbourhood Teams have also been briefed this morning, and will be calling at the offices of local MPs today for visibility and reassurance."

Detectives are questioning Thomas Mair, 52, who was arrested just minutes after the attack in a nearby street in her Batley and Spen constituency.

There are unconfirmed reports he shouted "Britain First" before the attack, in Birstall near Leeds.

The Conservative Party said today it would not be contesting the by-election.

MY ANGUISH - BY NIGEL HUDDLESTON

"As a fellow member of the 2015 intake of MPs I was devastated to hear the news of Jo Cox’s murder. 

My heart goes out to her family and her many, many friends inside and outside parliament. 

It is heart-breaking to know that two young children will now grow up without their mother. 

She was murdered in broad daylight while doing the job she loved and while serving the people whom she was so obviously proud to call her constituents.

In her all too short parliamentary career, Jo made a huge impression and was respected and admired by everyone who came into contact her - from all political parties. 

Whenever Jo spoke in the chamber of the House of Commons the house fell silent to listen to her. 

That is not an honour bestowed on all MPs and it speaks volumes about the high regard Jo was held in. 

Whenever Jo stood up to speak you knew it would be worth listening to. 

Jo also had a very endearing style of speaking: she made short, passionate, insightful points and focused especially on matters close to her heart, which she had spent nearly two decades campaigning on before entering parliament for the first – and, sadly, last time - just 13 short months ago.

Some MPs spend their time in parliament only interacting with their own party colleagues, walking around with the heads bowed, avoiding eye contact with opposition MPs and staring into their smartphones. 

Jo always held her head high, greeted everyone with a smile and a hello and literally spread joy with her very presence. 

Jo made an effort to get on with everybody and worked on cross party campaigns. 

I know she worked particularly closely with Andrew Mitchell MP on international development issues and Syria. 

Andrew captured her spirit accurately when he said of her yesterday that she was ‘a force of nature’ and ‘a five foot bundle of Yorkshire grit."