On Saturday we woke up once again to more shocking and tragic news of so many lives lost on Friday night in Paris.

To murder innocent people who have no hope or chance of defending themselves in any way is pure evil.

It is cowardly – and hiding behind religion doesn’t fit anymore.

We, therefore, continue to live in challenging times and while peace in our lifetime is unlikely to happen, we mustn’t give up hope.

Strong leadership is needed right now as we must continue to protect the lives of vulnerable and innocent people.

We must all stand strong to ensure evil does not win.

So many of us are fortunate to live in safe towns and countries where freedom is taken for granted, but as Friday evening’s atrocities showed, everything can change so quickly.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones of the people who lost their lives in Paris.