A QUAKERS group will be holding a silent vigil in Ulverston following the death of 50 people in the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The event, organised by the Quaker group based at Friends Meeting House in Swarthmoor, will hold the vigil between 11am-noon on Saturday at Market Cross near to Tesco and the Farmer’s Arms at the top of Market street.

Fifty people died in the shootings after a lone attacker opened fire during Friday prayers with another thirty people still in hospital with nine in a critical condition.

One member from the Quaker group is from New Zealand and lived in Christchurch for five years whilst another also travelled extensively throughout New Zealand between 2011 and 2012.

Bill Shaw a Quaker elder said: “Between October 2011 and March 2012 I travelled throughout New Zealand, particularly Christchurch and at the time you still got the sense that everyone was on edge following the devastating earthquakes.

“Since then people have only just started to get themselves back together and then all of a sudden this atrocity happens.

“Mentally people are still suffering from those previous traumas and now this - imagine how that community feels.

“One of our members is from New Zealand and has spent years living in Christchurch and since this event she has found it difficult to express her grief, leaving her feeling isolated.

“We too had a similar feeling and so we wanted to put the vigil together to give people space and time simply to think and pray for all those lost.

“As a society we need to address the problem that we cannot just solve hatred with hatred, darkness with darkness.

“Anybody is welcome to attend simply to hold all those affected in our thoughts and in our prayers.”

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed never to speak the name of the alleged Christchurch gunman and said the person responsible would face the “full force of the law”.

A 28-year-old Australian man has also been charged with one count of murder and appeared at court on Saturday. He was remanded until April 5.

He has been named as Brenton Tarrant.