THE Belgian flag was flying alongside the Union flag at Hampshire County Council headquarters in Winchester last week – both lowered to half-mast in an expression of sympathy and solidarity for the victims of the bomb attacks at Brussels’ main airport and a metro station.

The terrorist incidents on March 22 claimed more than 30 lives and injured dozens of people.

As a mark of remembrance for the victims of the attacks, Hampshire County Council staff and councillors also joined the Europe-wide minute’s silence observed at 11am last Wednesday (March 23).

Recalling his time working in the Belgian capital as a former Member of the European Parliament, county council leader Roy Perry said: “During the 10 years I was MEP for Hampshire, I went through Zaventem Airport hundreds of times, and similarly used the Maelbeek metro station. It is just horrible to think of the scores of innocent people, going about their daily business, who have now been killed or maimed.

“My heart goes out to them and their families and on behalf of the people of Hampshire I offer our sincere condolences to the Belgian people.

“In Europe, it was Paris last year, Brussels this year, and who knows where might be next. That is not to forget the atrocities in other parts of the world. The 21st Century has not started well.”

As one of the founding co-chairmen of Hampshire’s Interfaith Network, which promotes mutual understanding between people of faith, Mr Perry added: “In my time in the European Parliament, I worked extensively for peace in the Middle East and for better understanding with the Muslim world. I know from my Muslim friends that they are as appalled by these horrors as all decent people are, and they know these acts are a perversion of their faith.

“The people we must condemn are the men and women of violence and not make the mistake of condemning all people of a particular faith.”

And Mr Perry added: “We are flying the Belgian flag at half mast as a sign of our sympathy and solidarity with the people of Belgium. Brave little Belgium. We joined in the First World War because of the invasion of Belgium. It is a country that is important to us. They need our support again now, just as they did in 1914.”