Labour MP Jo Cox has died after she was shot at least two times and stabbed in her West Yorkshire constituency.

The 41-year-old politician, who was married with two young daughters aged three and five, was also kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in Birstall, near Leeds, an eyewitness said.

A second witness reported three shots, including one "round the head area".

Cox was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the attack but did not survive.

Temporary chief constable for West Yorkshire Dee Collins told a news conference: "I am now very sad to have to report that she has died as a result of her injuries."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country would be "in shock at the horrific murder" of the MP, who was a "much loved colleague".

A 52-year-old man has been arrested in the area following the attack. He has been named locally as Tommy Mair, who neighbours described as a "loner".

The shooting is believed to have taken place as Mrs Cox came out of the town's library where she had been holding an advice surgery and meeting constituents.

Eyewitness Hichem Ben Abdallah said a "very brave" bystander tried to stop a man who pulled out a gun and shot her twice and also assaulted her.

Some reports said that two men had been involved in an argument in the street before Ms Cox intervened and was then attacked.

Abdallah, who was in a cafe next door to the library, told Sky News he saw people rushing down the road towards the library and heard two shots.

He saw a man wearing a "dirty white baseball cap" who started "jostling with somebody", a bystander who appeared to be trying to stop him.

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 was fighting with her and wrestling with her and then the gun went off twice."

Abdallah said Cox was shot from between two cars and then kicked as she lay on the ground.

"It looked like a gun from, I don't know, the First World War or a makeshift, handmade gun. It's not sort of like the kind of gun you see normally."

Abdallah said he could see Mrs Cox lying on the ground with her face bleeding and her hair "roughed up".

He described a hysterical situation with lots of people screaming and said he was "absolutely shocked".

He added that the gunman walked off "very, very coolly, very slowly".

(Sky News)