Labour MP Jo Cox Shot And Stabbed In Street

Labour MP Jo Cox is in a critical condition after she was shot at least twice and stabbed in her constituency in West Yorkshire.

The 41-year-old politician, who is married with two young daughters, was also kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in Birstall, near Leeds, following the attack, an eyewitness said.

A second witness reported three shots, including one "round the head area".

A 52-year-old man has been arrested in the area following the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy Mair, who neighbours described as a "loner".

The shooting is believed to have taken place as Mrs Cox came out of the town's library where she had been holding an advice surgery and meeting constituents.

Eyewitness Hichem Ben Abdallah said a "very brave" bystander tried to stop a man who pulled out a gun and shot her twice and also assaulted her.

Some reports said that two men had been involved in an argument in the street before Ms Cox intervened and was then attacked.

It is thought the MP for Batley and Spen has undergone surgery after being airlifted to hospital.

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Mr Abdallah, who was in a cafe next door to the library, told Sky News he saw people rushing down the road towards the library and heard two shots.

He saw a man wearing a "dirty white baseball cap" who started "jostling with somebody", a bystander who appeared to be trying to stop him.

He said: "There was a guy who was being very brave and another guy with a white baseball cap who he was trying to control, and the man in the baseball cap suddenly pulled a gun from his bag.

"He was fighting with her and wrestling with her and then the gun went off twice."

Mr Abdallah said Mrs Cox was shot from between two cars and then kicked as she lay on the ground.

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"It looked like a gun from, I don't know, the First World War or a makeshift, handmade gun. It's not sort of like the kind of gun you see normally."

Mr Abdallah said he could see Mrs Cox lying on the ground with her face bleeding and her hair "roughed up".

He described a hysterical situation with lots of people screaming and said he was "absolutely shocked".

He added that the gunman walked off "very, very coolly, very slowly".

West Yorkshire Police said in a statement: "At 12.53pm today, police were called to a report of an incident on Market Street, Birstall, where a woman in her 40s had suffered serious injuries and is in a critical condition.

"A man in his late 40s to early 50s nearby also suffered slight injuries.

"Armed officers attended and a 52-year-old man was arrested in the area. There are no further details at present.

"Police presence in the area has been increased as a reassurance to the community."

Mrs Cox was elected as the MP for the Batley and Spen seat at the general election in 2015.

Following the shooting, her husband Brendan Cox tweeted a picture of her near Tower Bridge, close to where they have a houseboat.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "Utterly shocked by the news of the attack on Jo Cox. The thoughts of the whole Labour Party are with her and her family at this time."

David Cameron tweeted: "Very concerned about reports Jo Cox has been injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo and her family."

The EU referendum Remain and Leave campaigns have suspended their activities for the day as a result of the attack, and Mr Cameron has cancelled a pro-EU rally in Gibraltar.

Mrs Cox is the latest politician to have been attacked in recent years.

In May 2010 Labour MP Stephen Timms was stabbed by Roshonara Choudhry, an Islamist extremist, during a constituency surgery in Beckton, east London.

He made a full recovery. Choudhry was jailed for life with a minimum of 15 years.

Political aide Andrew Pennington was killed in January 2000 trying to protect MP Nigel Jones from a man with a samurai sword during a constituency surgery in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Mr Pennington was posthumously awarded the George Medal.