FRIDAY night’s terror in Paris shocked the world, and my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those whose loved-ones were murdered, or injured, in the attacks.

Also we must think of the survivors, who witnessed such absolute horror while in fear for their own lives – in an experience which will leave terrible emotional scars as well as physical.

The sheer barbarity of the assaults on innocent people doing nothing more than enjoying a Friday evening with friends in cafés, restaurants and the concert hall, or working at those venues, is utterly horrifying.

I know that a number of people from Penarth and Cardiff were in Paris on Friday, or had loved-ones there, close to the scene of some of the attacks, and I hope they are safe.

These unspeakably evil acts were designed to inflict maximum pain on innocent people.

But alongside the terror, there are stories of bravery - people putting themselves at risk to aid the injured; others selflessly opening their doors in the face of the unfolding terror to offer a safe haven to those fleeing; and members of the emergency services at the scenes of the numerous attacks.

And there are stories of resolve and defiance – the singing of La Marseillaise by football fans leaving the Stade de France, itself the target of suicide bombers; the rush of Parisians to donate blood; and the determination of the people of that great city to pay tribute to the dead and the wounded.

All this is in stark contrast to the cowardice of attackers whose aim in brutally targeting defenceless people is to destabilise and damage the freedom and democracy we cherish.

Sadly terrorism affects not only Paris but also so many other countries and cities, from Beirut to Baghdad, and we must stand united in our resolve to defeat these individuals.

We must continue to challenge anyone who preaches hate and oppression, from whatever community, faith or denomination they come; and teach our young people that integration, equality and democracy - not violence or extremist views - are the only route to freedom.

It’s also vital that we have the resources to ensure the safety and security of people in our own country - an issue I raised with ministers in the Commons this week - and that we respect and support the work of our police, security services and armed forces who are on the frontline in taking incredibly difficult operational decisions to keep us safe.