The 41-year-old was in a critical condition following the incident in which a witness said she was kicked by her attacker as she lay on the floor and shot repeatedly.

It is also believed the Batley and Spen MP was stabbed and dragged along by her hair.

A 52-year-old man has been arrested and remains in police custody. He has been named locally as Tommy Mair.

Police have said that they have recovered some weapons and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Officers said they are treating it as an isolated incident and are not looking for anyone else in relation to it.

In a press conference shortly after 5pm this afternoon, temporary Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police Dee Collins told reporters that the MP was attacked shortly before 1pm.

She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where she underwent emergency surgery.

‘I am very sad to have to report that she has died,’ Chief Constable Collins added.

An eyewitness alleged that the attacker repeatedly shouted ‘Britain First’ while stabbing and shooting her then walked away calmly.

Cafe owner Clarke Rothwell said: ‘He shot this lady once and then he shot her again, he fell to the floor, leant over shot her once more in the face area.’

Others have suggested she was intervening in a scuffle when she was attacked.

This afternoon her husband tweeted a picture of her next to the Thames where they live on a river boat.

The mother of two, who has recently spoken about voting to stay in Europe, has been a Member of Parliament since the last General Election. This afternoon both Vote Leave and Stronger In suspended their campaigns.

Eyewitness Hithem Ben Abdallah, 56, was in the cafe next door to the library shortly after 1pm when he heard screaming and went outside.

He said: ‘There was a guy who was being very brave and another guy with a white baseball cap who he was trying to control and the man in the baseball cap suddenly pulled a gun from his bag.’

He added: ‘He was fighting with her and wrestling with her and then the gun went off twice and then she fell between two cars and I came and saw her bleeding on the floor.’

After around 15 minutes, the shop owner said emergency services arrived and tended to her with a drip.

Courtesy Metro