POLICE are looking into reports a North Yorkshire bishop was threatened online after speaking out about Dominic Cummings’s alleged breach of lockdown rules.

Helen-Ann Hartley, the Bishop of Ripon, reported the matter to North Yorkshire Police as some of the Church of England’s most senior figures reported receiving hate mail and death threats.

Bishop Hartley posted: “’Stay out of politics or it will be the death of you’ was one of the emails I received today.

“Thank you to those who have sent supportive messages.”

She had earlier written about missing her father’s birthday during the lockdown as he recovered from radiotherapy.

Bishop Hartley said she was “following up” the hate email with police.

On Tuesday, North Yorkshire Police said in a statement: “A complaint has

been made to North Yorkshire Police and inquiries are ongoing into the

matter.”

Paul Butler, the Bishop of Durham, tweeted that ‘trust has been broken’ since Mr Cummings’s lockdown trips to the North-East were revealed.