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Minute’s silence at noon for Britain’s Tunisia massacre victims


The country will fall silent at 12 noon today in memory of the British tourists killed in the recent terrorist beach shooting in Tunisia.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced the national moment of mourning in tribute to the holidaymakers shot to death by IS extremist Seifeddine Rezgui.

Seven days ago Rezgui walked onto a popular tourist beach in Sousse and opened fire with a Kalashnikov machine gun, killing 38 people, including 30 Britons.

Two Germans, three Irish people, one Belgian, one Portuguese and one Russian were also killed.

The flags outside No.10 Downing Street will fly at half-mast, and announcements will be made on public transport in support of the minute’s silence today.

Among the dead are Manchester-born Philip Heathcote, 52, and his wife Allison, 48. They were both gunned down on the beach while on holiday to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.

The Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed that all 30 British nationals killed in the Tunisia attack had been identified by police.

Mr Hammond said: “We now have all 30 British victims positively identified and we can say with a high degree of confidence that is now the final death toll of British nationals killed in this incident.”

The bodies of those killed are being flown back to the UK through RAF Brize Norton.

“We have repatriating another 9 bodies today, and there will be two further repatriation flights tomorrow and Saturday.

“We will be holding a minute’s remembrance at noon across the UK as well as in British embassies and posts around the world.”

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Tom is SalfordOnline.com's News Editor and community co-ordinator.