Priti Patel

The Daily Gazette reports how Conservative Will Quince "stormed to victory" in Colchester securing the backing of more than half of the town’s voters.

"I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has put their trust and faith in me," he said.

It also reports how home secretary Priti Patel "issued a rallying cry" after holding onto her Witham seat.

"It is clear the British people have spoken and they have shown and wanted Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party to break the gridlock we have seen in British politics in the last three years, to get Brexit done and to unleash the potential of our great, great country again," she told the paper.

Home Secretary Priti Patel updated the Commons on the discovery of the 39 bodies in a container lorry in Essex.

"While the nationalities of the victims are not yet known, I have asked my officials to work closely with the investigation to provide all assistance we can," she said.

AFP/Getty Images

In response to Diane Abbott's comments, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "There are some fundamental points about potential links to criminality and what we should be doing as a country to stand by those who really should not be trafficked in any way whatsoever.

"As a country we lead the world in many of our ways of working internationally. I think fundamentally there is always a point of international co-operation or collaboration."

Ms Patel said the UK had to "do the right thing as a country" to uphold the "right kind of values". She said this meant making sure people fleeing war zones and conflicts were given asylum "in the right way".

BBC

The Home Secretary Priti Patel has been speaking in the House of Commons after Essex Police launched the murder investigation.

"This is truly a truly shocking incident," she said. "My thoughts and all thoughts and condolences are with the victims and their loved ones at this utterly terrible time."