Tributes paid to Black Country solicitor, Sally Adey, killed in Tunisia terror attack

The 57-year-old was on a last-minute dream cruise with husband Robert and were visiting the Bardo Museum in Tunis when Yassine Laabidi and Hatem Khachnaoui opened fire, killing 21 people, including Mrs Adey.

David Erwin, who went to Tettenhall College with Mr Adey, is a close friend of the family, including the couple's two children Molly, 23, and 20-year-old Harry.

He was skiing in France when he heard about the tragedy and described his friend's death as a 'sad and tragic loss'.

Paying tribute to the couple who live near Albrighton, he said: "Today I'm remembering my friend Sally Adey so senselessly lost to terrorism in Tunis. Thoughts with Rob my close friend of over 40 years and two of the finest young people I know, Harry and Molly. It's a sad and tragic loss.

"I won't be taking on the dreaded Wall now, but I'll be out on my skis anyway, because they must not win. Go safely everyone."

Rafik Chelli, the Tunisian Interior Ministry's senior security official, said the attackers slipped out of Tunisia in December and received weapons training in Libya before returning home.

Both gunmen were shot dead in the attack by security forces but Tunisian authorities said the pair had no clear links to extremists.

Police arrested five people described as directly tied to the two gunmen who opened fire on Wednesday at the National Bardo Museum.

Four others said to be supporters of the terrorist cell were also arrested in central Tunisia, not far from where a group claiming allegiance to al Qaida's North African branch has been active.

Writing on an internet tribute page, Jonathan Edwards from Shrewsbury said: "I met Sally through my work on about 10 occasions and had the pleasure of her welcoming me to her home.

"She struck me as someone who very much loved life; loved her family; and loved how her life was at that moment.

"Bless her. My respects to her family."

And Adam Barker said: "All of us are so sorry to hear this terrible news RIP Sally such a lovely lady gone too soon."

Family of Mr and Mrs Adey in Wolverhampton were too upset to talk yesterday.

In Mrs Adey's Lincolnshire home town, the village of Scothern was said to be 'eerily silent' as it came to terms with her death in the atrocity.

Her father Wing Cdr Robert Johnson lives in the village as does her brother Michael.

Glen Thomopson, assistant headteacher at Lincoln Christ's Hospital School where Mrs Adey attended said: "Everyone at the school is deeply saddened by the news.

"And we want to express our condolences to Sally Adey's friends and family and to the families of everyone involved in the tragic attack."

Reverend Adam Watson, vicar of Saint Germain's in Scothern, said: "The community here in Scothern has been shocked and are deeply saddened by the news of the death of Sally Adey.

"All our thoughts and prayers are with Sally's father Bob and his wife Joan at this terrible time."

ISIS issued a statement on jihadi websites applauding the dead gunmen as 'knights'.

Tunisians stepped around trails of blood and broken glass outside the museum to rally in solidarity with the 21 victims killed on Tuesday.

Seventeen of the dead were from the same cruise ship as Mr and Mrs Adey.

The mother-of-two enjoyed weekends away with her friends and watching sport with her husband.

She was a respected solicitor who worked in Wolverhampton, Bridgnorth, Birmingham and Telford.

Mr Adey, 52, is a partner with Birmingham law firm Shakespeares.

Tunisian health minister Samar Samoud said the latest tally of victims also includes four Italians, three Japanese, three French, two Spanish, two Colombians and one each from Poland and Belgium.

Confronted with a poor economy, young Tunisians have disproportionately gone abroad to fight with extremist groups in Libya, Syria and Iraq, including some affiliated with IS.

Tunisian authorities have estimated that of the 3,000 young people who left the country to fight with radical groups, about 500 have returned.