Andy Burnham says the former Cambridge professor's death is a "really sad, sad and sorry state of affairs".
Barely 1% of professors at UK universities are black, so he was joining a small and highly visible minority in academia, writes Education Editor Branwen Jeffreys.
Major incidents are declared across the UK including in Stourbridge, Sandwell and Pershore.
Scotland Yard copied in all those who had signed up to receive a monthly update.
The Total Eclipse of the Heart singer died last month in a hospital in Portugal.
The man, who is in his 40s, cannot be identified to protect the identity of the woman.
Police investigating a "deliberate fire" near Porth also said they had arrested four 14-year-old boys.
The latest: Fire service receives reports of people accessing the area where crews are working.
A burst main underneath a ring road in the central terminal area caused flooding and travel issues.