Stevenage Borough Council is flying a rainbow flag over its headquarters in Danestrete as a mark of respect for the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida at the weekend.

49 people were shot dead when a gunman who proclaimed his support for ISIS, opened fire in the Pulse club in the early hours of Sunday morning.

It was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States and the nation’s worst terror attack since 9/11.

The gunman - 29-year-old Omar Mateen, of Fort Pierce, Florida, was interviewed by the FBI in 2013 and 2014 but was not found to be a threat to security.

Council leader Sharon Taylor tweeted a picture of the rainbow flag yesterday evening along with the message: ‘Dear Orlando, our thoughts, prayers and hearts are with you. Stay strong brothers and sisters, love cannot be defeated.’