AN OXFORD MP has said the Prime Minister should 'throw the book at' a Tory MP who made 'hateful' comments about Gypsies.

Anneliese Dodds, the Labour MP for Oxford East, joined 23 of her colleagues in expressing outrage about the remarks by Ashfield MP Lee Anderson.

The 23 Labour backbenchers had called for the whip to be removed from Tory parliamentarian Mr Anderson.

Ms Dodds, who is the Labour Party chair, also wrote to her counterpart in the Conservative Party, Amanda Milling, asking that Mr Anderson apologise for remarks he made about travellers.

During a debate last Tuesday on the Government's new policing bill, Mr Anderson said: "The Gypsy encampments that we are talking about in places such as Ashfield are not the traditional, old-fashioned Gypsies sat there playing the mandolin, flogging lucky heather and telling fortunes.

“The Travellers I am talking about are more likely to be seen leaving your garden shed at 3 o’clock in the morning, probably with your lawnmower and half of your tools.”

The letter from Labour MPs to the Conservative Party chair described his remarks as 'racial stereotyping of a much-persecuted minority and paints entire communities as criminals'.

ALSO READ: Hole drilled in Didcot door believed to be attempt to 'gain access to property'

And Ms Dodds added: "“Another week, another slew of hateful comments from a sitting Tory MP.

“Lee Anderson's appalling comments will fuel discrimination against the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

“As a member of the Women and Equalities Select Committee he should not describing a group of people protected under the Equality Act in such prejudiced and discriminatory ways.

“If the Conservatives are serious about taking a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, they need to throw the book at Mr Anderson and apologise for the hurt his comments have caused.”

Last week, the Mirror asked Boris Johnson's deputy spokesman whether Mr Anderson should resign, but did say the PM did not agree with his remarks.

Mr Anderson stood by his comments, and said anyone calling for his resignation should 'take a journey into the real world'.