Ulverston woman at scene of fatal shooting and stabbing of MP in street

Sophie Hayes, of Ulverston, was on the opposite side of the square in Birstall, near Leeds, when the Labour MP was attacked in her constituency yesterday lunchtime.

The Batley and Spen MP, 41, was fatally wounded by a man reportedly shouting "Britain first". The mother-of-two was left bleeding on the ground.

Miss Hayes was in a hairdresser's salon when panic erupted in the square with people running and emergency vehicles and armed police descending on the area.

The 29-year-old, who has lived in Birstall for five years, was told to get back inside the salon as someone had been shot and the gunman had run off.

The panicked community feared terrorism and the mental health nurse locked herself and her pregnant hairdresser in the salon.

Miss Hayes said: "We saw about 15 police vehicles and armed police engulf the area and people running.

"We were told to get back inside, they told us there had been a shooting and pointed in the direction the man had run.

"People were frightened, the first thing we thought was it was a terrorism attack. We were scared. My hairdresser is pregnant so I was frightened for her."

They were told a man had been arrested and that it was their MP who had been attacked. Later they learnt that Mrs Cox had died.

Miss Hayes said Birstall is usually a nice sleepy town. She said: "This is a close-knit community which is very shocked. People are really upset.

"I didn't meet Jo Cox, but she had visited my former workplace and she had spoken to staff and patients and everyone really liked her. She was well liked and respected here, she was nice."

Miss Hayes said her thoughts are with the Cox family and she was to lay some flowers.

Police said a 77-year-old man nearby sustained non-life threatening injuries.

The alleged gunman was named locally as Tommy Mair, 52, who neighbours described as "a loner".

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