Tributes have been paid to the Labour MP Ashok Kumar, who has been found dead in his home, aged 53.

Mr Kumar had represented Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland since 1997, after entering Parliament in 1991 as MP for the ancestor seat of Langbaurgh.

Police say they are treating his death as “unexplained” and inquiries are being carried out.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Mr Kumar was “a tenacious campaigner” and “a warm and incredibly generous man”.

He said he was “greatly saddened”, by the news, adding: “Ashok was a hard-working constituency MP who took pride in representing the people of Middlesbrough as both a councillor and MP since 1987.

“His long-standing campaigns to keep shipbuilding in Teesside were respected by all sides of the House.”

…

Mr Kumar was also a supporter of the British Humanist Association.

Chief executive Andrew Copson said: “Ashok was especially interested in education, and was opposed to the divisive and discriminatory faith schools system, preferring inclusive schools and objective religious education, not religious instruction.

“In fact, Ashok spoke of the dangers of segregation and religious indoctrination consistently over the last decade, and in almost every Education Bill.”

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8568583.stm