A Roman Catholic priest has accused police of preventing him from giving Conservative MP Sir David Amess his last rites as he lay dying in his Essex constituency.
Father Jeffrey Woolnough arrived at the police cordon stretching across tree-lined Eastwood Road North in Leigh-on-Sea, offering to administer the last rites to the devout Catholic, 69, on Friday afternoon after he was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a suspected terrorist.
But he told the Mail: 'The officers said that because it was a crime scene, and also the nature of the scene, it just wasn't possible.' MailOnline has contacted Essex Police, which responded to reports of the initial incident before Scotland Yard launched an investigation, for comment.
At a service at Saint Peter's Church in Eastwood Lane on Friday evening, Father Woolnough called Sir David 'Mr Southend' and described the MP as a 'fine gentleman and a knight of the realm' who was much loved by all members of the community.
Father Jeffrey Woolnough (right) has accused police of preventing him from giving Conservative MP Sir David Amess (left) his last rites as he lay dying in his Essex constituency
People attend a Catholic mass conducted by Father Jeff Woolnough at St Peter's church in Eastwood, Essex, following the death of Conservative MP Sir David Amess who was stabbed multiple times at a meeting with constituents in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
People during a candlelight vigil at Belfairs Recreation Ground near to Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
The church fell silent as Father Woolnaugh paid tribute to the Conservative MP and invited his constituents to remember him. He placed a photograph of Sir David at the front of the church, and said: 'This liturgy is one I was not expecting to lead today.
'The whole world grieves. In this Mass we pray for the repose of the soul of dear David.
'Have you ever known Sir David Amess without that happy smile on his face? Because the greeting he would always give you was that happy smile.
'He carried that great east London spirit of having no fear and being able to talk to people and the level they're at. Not all politicians, I would say, are good at that.'
Around 80 people attended the service and listened as Father Woolnough recounted his own memories of Sir David.
He said: 'When you can speak to your MP and you can talk and get on like a house on fire, that's when you can talk to them later about things that are important to your area.
'What can we say? He died doing the thing he loved, meeting his constituents, his local people.'
Father Woolnough added that his constituents could 'count on' Sir David, and said: 'He was always available. We don't have the words tonight. Dear Sir David, rest well.'
It comes as Sir David's suspected killer was named for the first time as police were granted more time to question him.
Ali Harbi Ali, named by sources, allegedly stabbed Sir David to death in Belfairs Methodist Church as the backbencher for Southend West met with constituents. The Metropolitan Police have not named the suspect and are not confirming the suspect's name.
Police have previously said they are treating the attack as an act of terror, and Scotland Yard said in an earlier statement that they were investigating the possibility of links to Islamist extremism.
The Metropolitan Police arrested a 25-year-old on suspicion of murder on Friday and counter-terrorism officers have raided three properties in London. It was previously reported that Sir David's alleged killer had lived in the constituency after his family fled war-torn Somalia in the 1990s.
Scotland Yard announced tonight that detectives have been granted a warrant of further detention at Westminster Magistrates' Court which allows them to hold a man on suspicion of the murder of Sir David until next Friday, October 22.
In a statement, the force said: 'Late on Friday, whilst in
