A year after the death of a foreign student, leaders in a seaside town say the community is more united than ever against anti-foreign feelings.

Mohammed al-Majed, from Qatar in the Middle East, was attacked after an argument outside a kebab shop in Hastings.

The 16-year-old, who was shortly due to return home after a summer spent studying English in the town, died two days later at King’s College Hospital in London on August 24.

The death of the popular teenager stunned the local community and left his family heartbroken.

Parents Abdullah and Ebtsam described him as a “charming, loving” boy.

They said: “There is nothing that can replace our loss.”

As the anniversary of Mohammed’s death approaches, community leaders say residents in Hastings are now more determined than ever to ensure there are strong links between different groups in the town.

Michael Foster, the MP for Hastings and Rye, said: “What happened to Mohammed was a dreadful thing and his family remain in our thoughts and prayers.

“Nothing that has happened since can in any way remove the pain and suffering which this death caused.

“But their response, which was not to blame the people of Hastings, was helpful in building our own community.

“This provided a raincheck on where we were in terms of relationships with minority groups in the town.

“Minority culture organisations have all prospered in terms of relations in the past year.

“Their complementary differences have made us a stronger society, not a weaker one.”

Inspector Mark Bright, of Sussex Police, said officers have been working hard to support the town’s language schools and students.

He said: “We have been developing our community engagement and providing additional support to individual students.

“We organise community safety talks when they arrive and meet with language schools on a regular basis.”

Many foreign students have continued to visit the town this year.

Caroline Kelly, from Hastings Borough Council, said: “Mohammed al-Majed's death was both shocking and sad for everyone in Hastings and St Leonards.

“As we said at the time, the actions of one or two shouldn't tar a whole community which largely welcomes overseas visitors to the town.

“We are expecting just as many, if not more, students this year and have been working very closely with the police and language schools to make sure that our visitors feel safe and have a great experience.

“This tragedy was a one-off and some of those allegedly involved in this incident aren't even from Hastings.

“As a council we have been looking at the wider issues around mixed communities and lots of work is being done around promoting understanding and tolerance and creating a peaceful, safe town for everyone.”

George Austin, of no fixed address, is due to stand trial charged with the manslaughter of Mohammed on September 21.