An award-winning Stockton charity has called for James Cleverly to make a full apology after "insulting" language in the commons.

The organisation has published an impassioned letter defending the region and praising the people that live in the area.

In the statement Thrive Teesside, winner of Outstanding Contribution to Social Change category at the North East Charity Awards, describes Stockton as having high levels of poverty and inequality.

It praises the efforts of Labour MP Alex Cunningham and his efforts to raise awareness about the issue.

The letter reads: "Stockton-on-Tees is home to many individuals possessing wisdom, knowledge, resilience, selflessness and a strong sense of community spirit.

"Possessing wisdom, knowledge, resilience, selflessness and a strong sense of community spirit.

"These admirable traits, however, are often obscured by common misconceptions, ignorance and stigma.

"As a charity based in the constituency of Stockton North, Thrive Teesside has spent many years challenging poverty, aiding the community and empowering those with lived experience to speak truth to power.

"As such, we are appalled by the language used in the House of Commons on Wednesday 22nd November by the Home Secretary, James Cleverly MP.

"We appreciate the effort of our local MP Alex Cunningham who attempted to raise awareness and press for answers and actions to improve these statistics on child poverty, by asking the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for an explanation as the leader of the governing party why poverty persists."

The letter ends by blasting the implication that Stockton being a "s**thole" somehow explains why one in three children there live in poverty.

It reads: "We are dismayed that audio suggests that Stockton was described as being a “s**thole”.

"But more worrying is the suggestion implicit in this response is that this explains why one in three children in Stockton live in poverty.

"We understand that after initially denying making any comment, James Cleverly MP has attempted to clarify that his remarks were aimed at Alex Cunningham MP, rather than the town of Stockton-on-Tees.

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"Regardless of this clarification, we are disappointed and disconcerted that the Home Secretary has overlooked the crucial issue of entrenched and continued inequality and poverty in the North East of England.

"We would expect for the Home Secretary, James Cleverly MP to give a full apology for the insulting language and acknowledging the hurt caused."

You can read the full letter on the website, here.