Thousands have paid tribute to the Muslim police officer killed during yesterday's attack in Paris.

Ahmed Merabet was wounded during a gunfight with terrorists outside the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

A harrowing video showed the 42-year-old lying on the pavement before rolling over to face his attackers.

He is seen raising his hand, apparently pleading for mercy.

According to Le Parisien, Mr Merabet was heard saying: "Voulez-vous me tuer? (Do you want to kill me?)."

The gunman responded: "C'est bon chef (It's good chief)."

One of the two men quickens his pace as he reaches the injured officer and, without pausing, shoots him in the head.

Bloggers have picked up on the fact that Mr Merabet was a Muslim in an attempt to defend the community from a backlash to the attack.

The hashtag #JeSuisAhmed (I am Ahmed) - a play on Je Suis Charlie, the catchphrase spawned in the wake of the attack - has been tweeted more than 53,000 times in his memory.

One blogger, Dyab Abou Jahjah, wrote: "I am not Charlie, I am Ahmed the dead cop. Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending his right to do so. #JesuisAhmed."

Another, who uses the Twitter handle Kidrauhl, said: "Who kills in the name of Allah is not Muslim is just a murderer who hides behind religion."

Mr Merabet had just been promoted to the Judicial Police, and was described by his union as "someone very discreet and conscientious".

He was one of two police officers killed in the bloodshed.

Eight journalists, a maintenance worker and a visitor were also killed in what was France's worst terror attack since 1961.