So, despite being asked not to by the FCPE, we sent Ruadhri to school this morning. And he’ll be coming back home tonight, thank heavens, unlike the three children shot outside the Jewish school in Toulouse today. The father of two of the children was also killed. France is still reeling after the shooting of three soldiers last week in Montauban and Toulouse, in two separate incidents. They were killed by the same person, a man on a black scooter, and it appears he’s struck again today. The young soldiers’ deaths were tragic enough, but the shooting of three children goes even further.

What exactly has it achieved? What cause has it furthered? All it has done as far as I can see is pointlessly cut four lives short, tragically short in the case of the children who were 4, 6 and 10, and shocked and disgusted the entire country. Probably most of the world. Only the very sickest members of society could fail to be upset by the murder of a child.

There will be a day of mourning, the President has announced, and tomorrow, Tuesday, all schools will observe a minute’s silence. This is a chilling echo of what has just happened in Belgium following the dreadful coach accident which killed 22 youngsters and 6 adults only last week.

I can only hope with all my might that the police catch this murderer before he strikes again, and also that somehow the families of the victims can find the strength to cope with their unimaginably horrific ordeal. I’m sure that everyone’s hearts goes out to them.