SILENCE filled the council chamber at the Pontypool civic centre as Torfaen council, its politicians and members of the public paid their respects to Jo Cox MP.

The service had been arranged to take place outside today, where flags were flying at half-mast in honour of the Labour MP, but due to bad weather, it moved indoors.

Free Press Series: Dignitaries gather in the chamber ayt Pontypool civic centre in memory of Jo Cox.

Led by Canon Brian Pippen, councillors Veronica Crick and Anthony Hunt and Nick Thomas-Symonds MP and Lynne Neagle AM, prayers were read before a minute’s silence for the 41-year-old mother-of-two.

“Whether it was the children of Aleppo or whether it was the people of her constituency of Batley and Spen, her beloved constituency where she grew up, she spoke for them and was their fierce campaigner in Parliament,” Mr Thomas-Symonds said.

“Jo Cox also spoke to our common humanity. She spoke of all our human frailties. She spoke of how we are all the same. And whenever she spoke of the children of Syria, she always spoke and imagined they were her own children."

Free Press Series: Dignitaries, staff and members of the public gather in the chamber ayt Pontypool civic centre in memory of Jo Cox.

The Torfaen MP added that the last time he saw his fellow MP, who started in Parliament at the same time as him, was during her party held on the River Thames on Tuesday, days before she was killed in her constituency.

Mr Thomas-Symonds also read the poem ‘An Arundel Tomb’ by Philip Larkin to close his eulogy.

Even the rain fell silent during the 60 seconds of quiet reflection, as the packed council chamber bowed their heads in honour of Mrs Cox.

Free Press Series: Dignitaries, staff and members of the public gather in the chamber ayt Pontypool civic centre in memory of Jo Cox.

“It is fitting to close with a quote from Jo’s husband, Brendan, who paid a warm and dignified tribute to his wife, saying ‘Jo believed in a better world and she fought for it every day of her life with the energy and zeal for life that would exhaust most people,” said cllr Hunt, the deputy leader of Torfaen council.

“She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now. One – that our precious children are bathed in love and two that we unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn’t have a creed, race or religion, it’s poisonous.”

Free Press Series: Dignitaries, staff and members of the public gather in the chamber ayt Pontypool civic centre in memory of Jo Cox.

Ms Neagle added: “What happened to Jo is an attack on democracy and one that we all have to stand against.

“I think the most powerful thing we can do in the memory of somebody that was clearly an amazing person and human being, is take forward her message of hope and unity in this very difficult time.”

Free Press Series: Dignitaries, staff and members of the public gather in the chamber ayt Pontypool civic centre in memory of Jo Cox.

On Saturday, June 18, a candlelit peace and unity vigil will be held in Newport's Westgate Square in memory of Mrs Cox at 6.30pm.

The event has been organised by Murbarak Ali, who is the secretary of The Islamic Society of Wales and chair of United Against Fascism Newport, with other groups scheduled to attend as well.