A sombre British prime minister on Friday urged greater tolerance in public debate and recalled parliament to pay tribute to Jo Cox, the MP whose brutal killing has caused shock in Britain and further afield.

David Cameron and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn added bouquets to a massive floral tribute to the 41-year-old parliamentarian in the northern village of Birstall, where she was gunned down on Thursday.

And with less than a week until a referendum on whether Britain should leave the EU, which has split the country in two and sparked fiery debate on both sides, Cameron said it was time to "stand back".

Source: AFP