In light of his horrible experiences, Rev Coles says he is focusing on the good in the world while he comes to terms with his loss.

He tweeted: “The horrible letters; they don’t touch me. I am right now an expert in pain, and these are paper darts among the incoming, and just leave me mildly curious about the state of mind of the writer”.

This morning, he added that he’d received a call from a stranger to “express support” and say “All Swindon is behind you!”

The vicar of Finedon in Northamptonshire has also been honest about how difficult grief can be to navigate, using his signature humour to sum up the rollercoaster of thoughts and feelings he has experienced in the last few days.

What Reverend Richard Coles can teach us about staying positive in the face of grief and adversity