People should pray for Isis, says a leading church member following the night of carnage in Paris when 129 people died.

As France launched a devastating response to the attacks, Adam Voke, of Cornerstone City Church in Rochester, said it was important that people kept a “good perspective”, and pointed out that the atrocities were nothing new.

His views came just after the rousing speech by Andrew Neil when opening the BBC1 show The Week on Thursday in which he dismissed the terrorists as "scumbags" who would not succeed in destroying democracy.

Columnist Mr Voke wrote in KentOnline's sister paper the Medway Messenger: “In the Bible, Ecclesiastes says 'there is nothing new under the sun', what has taken place has been before.

“We should pray for Isis, seeing them as people who walk in great darkness who need to see a great light” - Adam Voke

“We can feel alarmed by the nearness and brutality of what we see in the media, but the sad reality is that globally there are many people suffering pain, oppression, persecution and war.

“For example a similar attack by Isis in Beirut the day before, got minimal media coverage. Throughout history this has been the same.

“We should pray for Isis, seeing them as people who walk in great darkness who need to see a great light.”

Flags flew at half mast in Medway as people fell silent in tribute to those killed in the attacks.

Offices and schools joined people across Europe for a minute’s silence at 11am UK time last Monday, including those at Medway Council and Medway Magistrates' Court.

The flags at the council’s offices in Dock Road, Chatham, and at Fort Amherst flew at half mast.

A French couple who are now living in Rochester said they spent the weekend glued to the news after the massacre in Paris.

Melanie Royer, 34, and partner Cyril Cypres, 44, have friends in the French capital and feared the worst. Thankfully, they have all been accounted for.

Melanie, who trained under a Michelin star chef in Paris, said: “It is so sad.”

The couple will open a micropub, The Flipping Frog, in Rochester High Street, at the former Pizza Romana takeaway, next month.

Supporters, players, staff and match officials bowed their heads in memory of those who lost their lives during a minute’s silence before their match against Bury on Saturday. The silence was also observed at the Invicta Dynamos match and at a swimming gala at Medway Park.

The attacks, claimed by Islamic State (IS) militants, hit a concert hall, the national football stadium, restaurants and bars in the French capital.

At Rochester Cathedral, a minute’s silence was held during the Eucharist Service on Sunday and before the choral society concert on Saturday evening.

Acting Dean, Canon Philip Hesketh, said those affected had been included in their prayers.

Kelly Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, tweeted: “My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Paris, family and friends of innocent people lost in shocking, sickening, devastating attacks.”

Rehman Chisti, MP for Gillingham and Rainham, tweeted: “Saddened and shocked by acts in Paris thoughts and prayers with French people.”

The ITV series Jekyll and Hyde, filmed around Rochester High Street and the Historic Dockyard, was pulled from airing.

The episode contained a kidnap scene using a gun, and graphic images, deemed insensitive in light of the Paris attack.