Labour MP Jim Marshall has died at the age of 63, it has been announced.

The prime minister was among those who paid tribute to the popular MP.

"The whole Labour Party is shocked to hear of the death of Jim Marshall. He was a very popular figure in parliament and in his constituency of Leicester South," Tony Blair said.

"He was a great advocate for his community and will be sadly missed. Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad and difficult time."

Labour Party chairman Ian McCartney expressed his "shock and upset" at Marshall's death.

"Jim was someone I had worked closely with, as my father had before me," he said.

"He was a hard-working and dedicated member of parliament who spoke up for his Leicester constituents and did a great deal to help to transform their communities and the opportunities open to them.

"He will be particularly remembered for his life-long commitment to trade unionism and to the rights of workers.

"His death is a great loss and he will be sorely missed by everyone in the House."

Marshall was married and had three children.

By-election

His death means that Labour now faces its first constituency poll since the Brent East by-election following the death of MP Paul Daisley last year.

The MP for Leicester South, he held the constituency with a majority of 13,243 at the last general election.

Despite appearing to be a safe Labour seat, the Conservatives ousted Marshall in 1983.

And with a high concentration of ethnic minority voters, the Liberal Democrats could target the constituency.

The party already has a strong foothold in local government and could perform a similar coup to that seen in last year's Brent East poll.

Marshall had an academic background before entering politics via Leicester council, of which he was leader in 1974.

He entered parliament in the October 1974 election. He lost the seat in the 1983 Conservative landslide, but recaptured it in June 1987.

In opposition he held frontbench roles on Northern Ireland and home affairs and was an assistant government whip in the period 1977 to 1979.