QUEEN ELIZABETH said she was "deeply shocked" by the "appalling" massacre of 16 children and their teacher by a gunman in their school gym at Dunblane, Scotland.
In a message to the Scottish Secretary, Mr Michael Forsyth, whose constituency includes Dunblane, Queen Elizabeth said:
"I was deeply shocked by the appalling news from Dunblane. In asking you to pass my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the families of all those who were killed or injured, and to the injured themselves, I am sure I share in the grief and horror of the whole country."
The Prime Minister, Mr John Major, said his "heart went out" to the families of all the children killed and injured in this "mad and evil act", which was a tragedy for Scotland and the rest of the country.
Mr Major, who was attending an international peace meeting, in, Egypt, said he planned to visit Dunblane tomorrow, and that all the heads of government at the summit had individually expressed their sympathy.
"This is a sickening and evil act that almost passes belief. Those children were in school, they had nothing to do with anything, they were where they should have been safe.
"They are perhaps the generation that has more to look forward to in optimism and hope than any before, and suddenly this appalling act snuffs out that opportunity."
The Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, appeared close to tears as he stated that the massacre had devastated the whole country.
"I do not think words can really describe the depth of the tragedy and the horror that people feel. These were little children who at the weekend were playing with their brothers and sisters, their mothers and fathers.
"They went to school this morning with the whole of their lives in front of them, and now nothing.
Following a visit to the primary school just hours after the massacre, Mr Forsyth and the Shadow Scottish Secretary, Mr George Robertson, held a joint press conference at which they said they would be unable to forget the image of all the grieving parents.
Mr Robertson, who lives near Dunblane, said his children had attended the primary school, which was a focal point for the whole community. He praised the headmaster for being a "hero" in "unbearable circumstances."
"It's an act of unspeakable brutality and violence. It is difficult for anyone here and in the wider world to come to terms with what has happened in this primary school here today. We saw parents in grief and I think that's she abiding impression that we all got and I don't think I'll ever forget it," he said.
Mr Forsyth said he was "devastated" by the massacre. Dunblane was a close knit community, he added, so the effects of the tragedy would be felt by every household in the area. "I am saddened and horrified at the consequences for so many innocent people."
The Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, said the whole country would be grieving with the families of the victims.
The Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, described the event as a "ghastly tragedy," adding, "Our thoughts are with all those involved and indeed with the whole community."
The Scottish National Party leader, Mr Alex Salmond, said he found it "almost impossible to conceive" that such a tragedy could have taken place in Dunblane. "For so many young lives to have been ended in such a cruel and senseless manner is horrific and deeply shocking."
After describing the shooting as an "evil deed," the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, said he hoped the families of the victims would take some comfort from the support and care of the Church of Scotland, which is coordinating a team of counsellors.
Cardinal Basil Hume, the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, said he was "deeply shocked" by the massacre and that he would be praying for the families of the dead and injured.
The general secretary of the NAS/UWT teaching union, Mr Nigel de Gruchy, said the "atrocious" shooting proved that no school could now be considered safe.
"This incident heightens the need for all schools to take security seriously. No school is safe. It is not just inner city schools that are at risk."
Audrey Magee adds: Irish schools should not be turned into fortresses following yesterday's massacre, according to teacher and parent organisations. The INTO said the response to the "horrendous and horrific tragedy" should be measured and suggested greater employment of secretaries and caretakers in Irish schools.
"We have to protect our children and our teachers but we do not want to make fortresses of our schools or have metal detectors at the front gate as they do in the United States," said the INTO secretary general, Mr Joe O'Toole.
He said that schools had to remain open to the public but reception areas should be created to allow secretarial staff control visitors to schools and act as a buffer zone between the classrooms and the outside world. Mr O'Toole said more widespread employment of caretakers would also provide better security.
Extending their sympathies to the parents, children and teachers affected by the Dunblane tragedy, the National Parents' Council said schools should not be turned into prison camps.
"They would undermine our children, the teachers and the kind of society we are trying to create," said the Council's co ordinator, Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather.