Deputy leader of Swindon Borough Council Russell Holland has spoken out following the terror attack in Manchester on Monday evening.

It is totally incomprehensible to good people everywhere that a person would deliberately set out to terminate their own life in an act of reckless hatred against other people, especially when directed against families and the young.

While any loss of innocent life is tragic, terrorist attacks are both an attack on individuals and our way of life as a whole.

It is comforting to me, that after this evil act, we see the good in those around us. We see the emergency services with their characteristic bravery and professionalism step into action. We see the community come together to offer support with housing and other needs.

We see literally millions of ordinary men and women, though deeply saddened, carry on with day-to-day life. A simple yet powerful statement of complete defiance against those who seek to harm what we stand for.

After the London bombings in 2005, the Queen made a brief and powerful speech and with the voice of experience said: "Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life."

Her Majesty is absolutely right.

Terrorists may cause great and lasting harm but ultimately they will never succeed in changing the British character. Why is that? It's because this country is filled with people who love their country, love their family and just want to do their best.

Our heritage is a heritage of freedom. It is a heritage that comes from sacrifice. So what happens when that heritage comes under attack? We pull together. We grieve, but we carry on. We resolve more deeply to defend our cherished freedoms.

The struggle for human freedom goes back centuries and, as a nation, we can justifiably be proud of the part we have played in that struggle.

Various philosophies hostile to freedom have come and gone but we have stayed true to our heritage and played our part in consigning such ideas to history. This may be a generational struggle, but the outcome is certain, the terrorists of our time will be remembered for their despicable acts, and the people of Britain will be remembered for never giving in and defeating them.

To the people of Manchester, we stand with you, we believe in freedom, we believe in ourselves and we know with surety, no one is ever going to take that away from us.