MP with two panic buttons is determined to keep on engaging with her community

MPs struggling to find a balance between community engagement and their own safety, Paul Brand reports

An MP has revealed she has two panic buttons in case of emergency but says she is determined to carry on engaging with her community.

"I have a panic alarm by my bed and in my office," Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden told ITV News.

She said in the wake of the killing of Sir David Amess she would be "reluctant" to have more security because she "loved" engaging with the community.

Sir David was stabbed on Friday while engaging with constituents at a local surgery.

Ali Harbi Ali, a 25-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of the killing and remains in police custody.

The attack was five years after the murder of Jo Cox, who was killed while engaging with her constituency.

It has brought to light the increasing hostility MPs face for doing their jobs and increased calls for greater regulation of social media.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has said the government will soon set out how it will improve MPs' safety.

Rhondda MP Chris Bryant took to Twitter to ask for kindness and respect for each other despite differing political views but received deaths threats in return.He told ITV News: "Sometimes you do just go to bed and go well maybe I am awful, maybe I am a terrible terrible person and then you don't sleep and you fret about it."