Murdered MP Jo Cox told her assistant “my pain is too much” in her final words as she lay dying in the aide's arms.

Fazila Aswat had tried to help the Labour MP after the brutal attack in which she was shot three times and stabbed, as she arrived for her constituency surgery in Birstall on Thursday.

Ms Aswat's father, Ghulam Maniyar, said his daughter risked her own safety by trying to beat away the attacker with a handbag, and then spoke to the MP before the emergency services arrived.

Mr Maniyar revealed details of the 41-year-old’s final moments in an interview with ITV News today.

He said: “She said her (Jo's) injury was so bad and she was in her arms. There was lots of blood.

"She said 'Jo, get up' but she (Jo) said 'no, my pain is too much, Fazila'. And I think those were the last words Jo spoke.

"She could not do anything else. She tried to comfort her. Then the police came, the air ambulance came, they took her to hospital. She was a witness and her clothes were full of blood."

Mrs Cox, the mother of two children aged three and five, was attacked by a gunman who reportedly shouted "Britain first" as he shot and stabbed her.

She had been arriving for her 1pm surgery at a library in Birstall, near Leeds.

Witnesses said she was shot three times, with the final shot to the head. Thomas Mair, 52, was arrested minutes after the killing.

Mr Maniyar said his daughter had tried to stop the attack.

"She tried to help her, she tried to hit (the attacker) with her handbag, but he tried to go at her," he said.

"People came so he followed them and he came back again and shot her (Jo) again twice.

"My daughter... she is in shock because she's been with her (Jo) for one year and working very closely with her.

"It will take time to fully recover from the shock. She knew that she (Jo) was very badly injured. That's why she's not speaking about everything she's seen. She lost one of her best people."

Mr Maniyar said his daughter did not realise Mrs Cox had been shot.

He said: "She was with my daughter. They'd left Batley office, they were in the marketplace, she was in my daughter's car sitting in the back seat. The car stopped and Jo decided to come out.

"My daughter didn't know she'd been shot. Because this person must be waiting outside where the surgery happens."

He added that the MP "was like a daughter" to him and called him "uncle" as he paid tribute.

"I think she's a caring person, not just an MP but she liked to help every human being, every single person," he said.

"She worried about Syrian people, she worried about ordinary people. Whenever you approached her, she'd come forward with a smile and try to help you.

"It's shocking. Not just for my daughter but the whole community. We were living in harmony in the community, English community, Asian community.

"This news is shocking for the whole community. My daughter, it will take time for her to recover."

He added: "I met her many, many times. She's a wonderful lady and we all sadly miss her. I saw Jo three days ago.

"She was campaigning in town and she rang me and I went there. She took a picture with me and some colleagues. She was there smiling."

Mr Maniyar said his daughter did not realise Mrs Cox had been shot.

He said: "She was with my daughter. They'd left Batley office, they were in the marketplace, she was in my daughter's car sitting in the back seat. The car stopped and Jo decided to come out.

"My daughter didn't know she'd been shot. Because this person must be waiting outside where the surgery happens."