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IChemE ceo, David Brown has paid tribute to Ashok Kumar, the only chemical engineer serving in the current UK parliament, who has been found dead at his Middlesbrough, UK home. 

A spokesman said that it was too early to say what brought on the "sudden" death of the 53-year-old, who was not thought to have been suffering from any serious health problems. Aides raised the alarm when Kumar failed to arrive at the House of Commons this morning and emergency services visited his house. His death was confirmed at around 14:00 today.  

Brown said: "We are shocked to hear of his sudden death. Dr Kumar was an accomplished chemical engineer and a stalwart supporter of the profession and of the process industries. He will be sorely missed." 

IChemE Fellow Kumar has been the Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland  since 1997, his second spell in parliament following a brief stint in 1991. Prior to his career in politics, Kumar spent 14 years working as a research scientist for British Steel at the Teesside Technology Centre in Grangetown. From that background he took with him a strong conviction of the importance of industrial R&D to the UK's economy. 

Kumar had contributed a range of articles to The Chemical Engineer (tce) magazine and spoke of his pride at being a chemical engineer in 2005: "I am very proud to be a chemical engineer, when people ask me what I do I always say I'm a chemical engineer first...Chemical engineers learn how to think analytically, to be objective and rational in whatever situation you are facing, and to be ruthless with assumptions. It has stood me in very good stead."