UK Police have launched an investigation after internet racists posted offensive messages against the London Rose who will compete in this year's Rose Of Tralee competition.

Since being crowned last month Belinda Brown (25) has been branded as "mud from London" and "a half caste mongrel" by users of race hate website stormfront.org.

However after receiving complaints from a number of Irish groups in Britain, a specialist group of detectives has now been drafted in to arrest the offenders.

At the heart of the investigation will be the Stormfront website which is operated by a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

Acknowledged as the internet's first major hate site, it is operated by Don Black, once Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan in America, who now runs the website from his base in Florida.

The website is being used as a discussion forum for racists around the world and some of its Irish users have been attacking the London Rose ahead of the festival in two weeks' time.

However in an interview with the Sunday Tribune last week, Brown said she was proud of her mixed race ancestry and said she had no fears about travelling to Tralee for the contest.

"I haven't asked for any extra security and I won't be worried while I'm in Tralee because I know what these people have been saying is not indicative of what Irish people are thinking as a whole. I know that statements have been posted on a website but I have not even seen them and have no intention of looking for them. This is a random few who don't seem to have anything to say other than that.

"I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion but these people were clearly very misinformed about me to say that I'm not Irish when I clearly am."

Born in Jamaica but raised in Ahoghill, County Antrim, the receptionist said she hadn't encountered any racism growing up in Ireland.

"We had our own issues in the north of Ireland during these years but thankfully they didn't have anything to do with race. In fact the race thing was never focused on. I have a mixed heritage and am equally proud of both parts of it."