POLICE are investigating death threats sent to a North-East MP from a right-wing splinter group.

Dr Ashok Kumar, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, is one of a number of black, Asian and Jewish MPs who have received threatening letters as part of a hate campaign by the Aryan Martyrs' Brigade.

Scotland Yard confirmed that letters received containing threats against the MPs and their families were being taken seriously and had been sent for forensic examination.

Yesterday, Dr Kumar said that while the letter he received was alarming, he was determined it would not detract from his work as an MP.

"We gave the letter to the police because you have to take that kind of threat seriously," he said.

"However, I am not going to be scared off by some crackpots. If we thought every time there could be danger to our lives, well, we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning."

He said that although he had received racist threats when he fought the Langbaurgh by-election several years ago, this was the first time he had received threats of this kind.

"There are always people with racist motives," he said.

"The police are investigating and I am sure they will do their best to protect me and other MPs who have been threatened - although, of course, you can never be entirely sure what will happen in this life."

A spokesman for Mr Kumar's office said the only clue on the letter, which was sent to the MP at the House of Commons, was a Derby postmark. The letter was written on a computer.

Staff have been warned to be extra careful when opening Dr Kumar's mail.

The Aryan Martyrs' Brigade, believed to be linked to the right-wing website Redwatch, sent a letter to the Liverpool Echo last year threatening to bomb the news- paper's offices if it continued to run anti-British National Party stories.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "We can confirm that in November a number of MPs received malicious communications."