Racist abuse apparently aimed at a black beauty queen is being investigated by police, officers said tonight.

North Yorkshire Police are looking into claims a self confessed racist threatened the newly crowned Miss York, Helen Lawal.

Medical student Miss Lawal, 23, was the target of an abusive call to the pageant organiser Vivienne Lee.

Miss Lee told the BBC: "A gentleman called me to say there shouldn't be a black person representing York and he said he would get all of us."

She said Miss Lawal, who lives in the town of Pickering, on the edge of the North York Moors, was shocked and surprised when she heard about the call.

North Yorkshire Police issued a statement which said: "We can confirm that a malicious call involving racist statements was reported to us on Friday, April 17. We take the issue of hate crimes very seriously and will investigate."

Nigerian-born Miss Lawal won the competition in York earlier this month. She is also the reigning Miss Black Britain and is due to compete in the Miss England competition in London in July.