HASLEMERE showed solidarity with the victims of Saturday night’s terrorist attack in London, in a public act of remembrance at the town war memorial, on Tuesday.

Town mayor Malcolm Carter and Haslemere rector Rev Mary Bowden led the minute’s silence at 11am, in memory of the seven people killed and to pray for the 48 left injured, 21 critically.

The High Street ceremony came less than a fortnight after the town came together to observe a minute’s silence in memory of the 22 victims of the Manchester suicide bomb.

Horrified by the recent terrorist attacks targeting Britain, more than 75 town residents joined the mayor and rector at 9pm on Sunday for a candlelight vigil at the war memorial.

Mr Carter said: “Some have lived through the Second World War and the IRA attacks but for many this is a new and tragic phenomenom. It was almost like a haven of peace we lived in here but in the last weeks we have had more than our share of killings.”

The candlelight vigil came a few hours after the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby opened an afternoon prayer event, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, at Guildford Cathedral.

Thousands came together at the cathedral as many more prayed worldwide on Pentecost Sunday.

The archbishop prayed for all those suffering and called for people not to turn on the Muslim community following the attacks. “The job for us is to draw alongside those who are suffering and to renew in them the hope that will, over time, come,” he said. “But it will be a hard journey.”

Rev Bowden said:?“Never have we needed to be more aware of God’s Kingdom than now,” following Tuesday’s remembrance ceremony. It’s very important we all come together at this time.”

Responding to Saturday’s attack, Surrey Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry, the head of operations command, said: “People will see enhanced high visibility patrols at key locations across Surrey and Sussex as we continue to keep all policing under review to ensure the most appropriate security is in place to keep our communities safe.

“Policing in the UK continues to operate at a heightened state against the backdrop of a ‘severe’ threat level, which has been in place since 2014, and means that an attack is highly likely. This threat level applies to the whole of the UK and not any specific area.

“It is important for the public to work with us and remain vigilant as we tackle the on-going terrorist threat.

“Please report any suspicious activity using the anti-terrorist hotline number 0800 789321 or 999 in an emergency. This is a time for us all to work closely together and unite against those who seek, through violence and extremism, to intimidate or cause fear.”

Meanwhile Hampshire Police Federation chairman John Apter warned this week the force was “at crisis point” after budget cuts, with officers and resources under strain in all areas.

Speaking on BBC Radio Solent, Mr Apter expressed concern for Hampshire, saying “there are simply not enough police officers”.

Last year he warned about rural towns and smaller cities being targeted by terrorists.

As attacks are increasingly carried out with relatively crude methods, combined with a likely longer waiting time for armed officers outside of London, the fear is if jihadists did target smaller towns and cities, the results could be devastating.

In a previous statement he said, “being realistic, if a firearms unit was coming from the middle of the county you are still talking about 30 miles away – you are not talking about a few minutes”.

On Tuesday, he told the BBC that, following the “devastating cuts” to Hampshire Constabulary’s budget, there were almost “1,000 fewer police officers”.

According to the BBC the Hampshire figure stood at 2,898 officers in September 2016 – down by around 21 per cent from 2010.

But the cuts have come as their workload has increased and demands on officers are “ever greater”.

And current workloads are just to sustain regular policing, without a crisis like the attacks seen in London.

He also confirmed Hampshire Constabulary have sent officers to Manchester and to London in the wake of recent incidents, which he said was “the right thing to do”.

Mr Apter added: “But there’s only so much you can spread that thin blue line. And we are at crisis point.”

A Hampshire Police spokesman would not be drawn on officer numbers, but said: “In response to the ongoing threat the public will see an increased policing and security presence across the county at key sites, such as train stations and other crowded places,”