LAST Friday’s outrageous terrorist attack on innocent tourists in Tunisia has sent shockwaves around the world – particularly here in Britain.

As holidaymakers relaxed on the beach and in their hotel a radicalised and misguided gunman calmly walked amongst them spraying bullets from a semi-automatic rifle killing 38 people – and 30 of them are from the UK.

This is a time of year when we all look forward to summer. Precious time with the children or grandchildren now that school has finished, enjoying the company of family and friends, day-trips or excursions further afield and of course holidays abroad where we can enjoy a change of scenery, weather and culture.

The last thing you would expect is to be at the centre of a terrorist incident.

On Saturday I attended the annual Armed Forces Day Service in Paisley where we showed our support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community – people who are currently serving, veterans, cadets and their families.

When you read or watch news reports of our armed forces in danger zones you often hear the same phrase repeated: “We are just doing our job”.

However grateful and appreciative we can be for their dedication, service and sacrifice, members of the army, navy and air force put themselves in harm’s way by choice.

Tourists do not.

Saturday’s event was therefore one of mixed emotions for me. Pride in the achievements and professionalism of the people we were there to honour. Sadness and anger for the victims of Sousse and the man who decided to inflict such devastation and despair on the dead and injured and their families.

It is a reminder of how precious we must hold our freedoms and how determined we must be that the fanatics of the so-called Islamic State will be defeated.

We must not allow extremists or the increased threat of terrorism to affect our daily lives but we must continue to show our understanding and support for the people on the front line.

The Prime Minister has announced a national minute’s silence to remember the victims of the Tunisian beach attack.

I hope you will join with me in the silence on Friday at mid-day – exactly a week after the shooting which killed so many people.