North West Hampshire MP Kit Malthouse has led tributes today after the “dreadful and tragic news” a police officer was killed in London.

Addressing the House of Commons, the Policing Minister said: “I want to bring the house’s attention to the fact a police officer was sadly shot and killed overnight in Croydon. The details are still emerging, but the Home Secretary has spoken to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and offered the Help and Support of the Home Office as the force comforts family, friends and colleagues and investigates this crime.

“We ask our police officers to do an extraordinary job. The fact that one of them has fallen in the line of doing that duty is a tragedy for the entire nation. I know the entire house will offer their condolences to his family and friends and colleagues. May he rest in peace, and justice follow this heinous crime.”

On Twitter, he added that it was “Dreadful and tragic news. Our thoughts are with family, friends and many colleagues who will be devastated by this shocking and heinous crime.”

A murder investigation has now been launched after the officer was shot. The Met has said that they were shot by a man being detained at Croydon police station in South London in the early hours of this morning.

He was taken to hospital after officers and paramedics treated him at the scene, but sadly later died at hospital.

A 23-year-old man who was detained at the scene was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound. He remains in a critical condition.

The Met stress that no police firearms were discharged in the incident.

Met police commissioner Cressida Dick said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which one of our colleagues has lost his life in the most tragic circumstances. My heart goes out to his family, direct colleagues and friends.

“We are currently supporting his family and also have a dedicated team providing support to the officers and those in the custody centre who witnessed the shooting.

"When a colleague dies in the line of duty the shockwaves and sadness reverberates throughout the Met and our communities. Policing is a family, within London and nationally, and we will all deeply mourn our colleague.

“We are in the early stages of the investigation and are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and we will provide further updates when we have them."

The Met have referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct who will lead an independent investigation.