Mohammed Al Majed was assaulted following an altercation between his friends and a group of local youths outside a takeaway kebab joint on the south coast.

Witnesses said the English language student was kicked to death by drunken, hooded thugs.

Remzi Tanriverdi, 43, who owns the takeaway joint, said: "I saw the English boys attack the Arab boys in the street. I have been told that they punched him, he fell down, then they kicked him in the head."

Majed suffered a serious head injury and died in London's King's College Hospital on Sunday following the attack late Friday, which is being investigated as a racially motivated murder, Sussex Police said.

Police are questioning an 18-year-old local man on Tuesday. Three other men, aged 17, 18 and 20, have been arrested, interviewed and released on police bail pending further inquiries.

The young man had spent about five weeks in Hastings and was due to return home next weekend.

Agencies