THE first black Archbishop of York has received racist hate mail, including letters daubed in swastikas and packages containing excrement.

Ugandan-born Dr John Sentamu, the Church of England's second in command, told The Sunday Times: "I have been a victim of all sorts of things. I have had a lot of terrible racist hate mail even since my appointment as archbishop."

The clergyman admitted he sometimes stared at people and wondered if it was they who were "writing these terrible, terrible letters".

He then added: "But I wake up every morning and I am breathing, and I say 'it's a good day - it's going to be okay'."

Dr Sentamu revealed he received racist threats while sitting on the inquiry into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

He was sent a photograph of the murdered boy with the words "you are next" written underneath in red ink.

In 2002, he was attacked on his way home from a service to mark the Queen's golden jubilee at St Paul's Cathedral.

"A young man spat on me and said 'Nigger go back'," the archbishop said.

"He then pushed me down an escalator. I had to go to hospital."

Dr Sentamu received the latest threats in Birmingham, where he was formerly the city's bishop.

Despite his experiences, the archbishop said the British were mainly tolerant people.

He said: "The United Kingdom, compared to the rest of Europe, is trying desperately hard to be a loving, inclusive society - I feel at home.

"The English person in the main has a sense of what it is to be a citizen, to belong and to be welcoming to strangers."

The archbishop was born in a remote village. His parents had 13 children and were very poor. He rose to become a judge in Uganda, but fled to Britain 25 years ago to escape persecution from Idi Amin.

He will move to North Yorkshire ahead of his enthronement in York Minster on November 30.

He will initially live in a three-storey house in Main Street, Bishopthorpe, before moving to medieval Bishopthorpe Palace when renovations have been completed.

The racist hate mail was last night condemned by North Yorkshire Police.

Inspector Peter Gold said: "We do not tolerate racial abuse to any individual, regardless of who that person is.

"It is dealt with in the strongest possible terms.

"These incidents will be investigated, if it's appropriate to do so."