A PUBLIC debate due to take place in Stourbridge tonight featuring the Home Secretary Theresa May has been cancelled after the horrific shooting and stabbing of Labour MP Jo Cox.

The young MP for Batley and Spen died shortly after the shocking incident in Yorkshire which has prompted a suspension on EU campaigning.

Theresa May had been due to answer questions about Britain’s membership of the EU at a hustings style event at Chawn Hill Church from 7pm, although the high-profile cabinet minister’s identity had not been revealed due to security concerns.

Stourbridge MP Margot James was due to host the event and said: “I’m really sorry for everybody who was looking forward to it. We’d got some really good questions and I was so looking forward to constituents having chance to question the Home Secretary directly.

“It’s such a shame but I think it’s appropriate to suspend campaigning in light of this awful event which seems to be sparked by some nationalist abhorrent motivation.”

Stourbridge News: Margot James - Conservative candidate for Stourbridge

Ms James said she had also heard about a London based MP who “had to wrestle a man with a knife in his surgery two weeks ago” and added: “It’s a real threat to democracy.”

But she said she would not be changing how she conducts her surgeries – adding: “I always have staff members or a local councillor with me; you have to be mindful of security - it’s not something I’m complacent about but I’ve no intention of changing the way I work.

The Conservative MP has just moved offices – from the old library in Church Street to an old GP’s surgery in Worcester Street. She said: “It’s a nice building – it’s on the ground floor in an old doctor’s surgery – but we will be increasing our security.”