Mohammed Al-Majed, 16, suffered head injuries after falling or being punched to the ground while being chased by a gang of local youths in what is believed to be a racist incident.

He died in hospital on Sunday.

Cllr Pragnell said today: "I was deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident over the weekend.

"Racism and violence have no place in Hastings and we are committed to working with the police and the Safer Hastings Partnership to make our beautiful town a safe and welcoming place to live, work and visit.

"We take our responsibilities to community cohesion very seriously and have a dedicated team of officers working hard to bring communities together.

"Unfortunately, we seem to be have an epidemic of violence at a national level at present and it only takes a few mindless, anti-social individuals to tar the reputation of a whole town.

"My deepest sympathies go to Mohammed's family and my thoughts are with them."

Between 30,000 and 35,000 overseas students visit Hastings every year.