Blackpool Council Leader Simon Blackburn has this evening offered his sympathies and condolences to victims of today's attack in Westminster.



Cllr Blackburn, who is also the Chair of Safer, Stronger Communities for the Local Government Association, said: "The shocking events in Westminster today are of very grave concern to us all, and on behalf of the people of Blackpool, I send our deepest condolences to the families of the people who have been killed, including the Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty.

" The bravery and unwavering commitment of the Police, Paramedics, Fire & Rescue service, and all of the hospital staff who will be involved, is truly inspirational, and alongside the actions of the Government Minister who heroically tried to save the life of the fallen Police Officer, should serve to remind us of why we should be incredibly proud to be British.

"I have instructed officers to lower the Union flag to half-mast tomorrow morning, and have arranged for the lights on Blackpool Tower to be switched off tonight, and lit in Red, White & Blue from lunchtime tomorrow.

"As part of my national role, I meet regularly with the Security Minister, to ensure that Councils across England & Wales are doing all they can to ensure that we support the Government in their endeavours to protect the British people from the threat of extremism and terrorism. Only last week I met with officials from the Home Office in London to discuss upcoming announcements around these issues.

"The Office of Counter Extremism have recently visited me here in Blackpool to discuss our regional approach, and I shall be making further announcements about this in due course. There is no reason to think that Blackpool is at any greater risk of attack than anywhere else, and I want to reassure people that we have very clear risk assessments and emergency plans in place, which are reviewed regularly.

"The public have a huge role to play in reporting concerns to the Police and security services, and I remind Blackpool residents that they can make the difference and that if they suspect something that could be terrorist related, they should contact Police by calling 0800 789 321 or visiting www.gov.uk/ACT. 22,000 people did so last year - and have helped the Security Services to prevent 13 attacks on the UK since 2013."