Yvette Cooper, a former Labour minister, has said "vitriol" in the EU referendum debate could be "very destructive" and that Jo Cox MP would have always stood against it.

The first murder of an MP for more than a quarter of a century prompted widespread revulsion and led to the suspension of campaigning for the EU referendum.

Ms Cooper told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "We don't yet know the circumstances of this case but there has been an increase in vitriol, I think, in public debate.

"Some of that is directed towards MPs but some of it is people directing it at each other and that's never healthy.

"Passion is good and disagreements essential and there's probably inevitable anger but there is, I think, the feel that there is more nastiness in public debate now and none of us would want to see that."

Asked if the EU referendum debate had become too nasty, Ms Cooper replied: "There is some vitriol as part of that debate which can be very destructive but I think the thing about Jo is she would have always stood against that.