A MAN is to appear in court today charged with the murder of a North-East university student.

The 24-year-old man from the Durham City area will appear before Chester-le-Street magistrates, accused of killing 21-year-old Patrick Brown, an undergraduate .

Mr Brown, a second year Russian student at University College, Durham, was found lying at the foot of a grassy embankment near the city's railway station on Saturday at 2.30am.

He was confirmed dead at the city's Dryburn Hospital shortly afterwards, and a post-mortem examination confirmed death was caused by head injuries.

Mr Brown, whose parents and teenage sister live in south Northumberland, was travelling back to Durham on the last train after a night out in Newcastle, when it is believed he and four friends, fellow students, became involved in violence with another group of men.

It is believed that further clashes took place on the platform and approach road leading from the station after both groups alighted the train at Durham.

Tributes were last night paid to Mr Brown, a former pupil at Newcastle's Royal Grammar School, who came to Durham University in the autumn of 1999 after a short service commission in the Army.

The flag was flying at half-mast at Durham Castle, home of University College, yesterday, while a candle will burn in memory of him at Durham Students Union building today.

College master Professor Morris Tucker said all students and staff were "deeply shocked" at Mr Brown's death.

He described him as "a likeable person with lots of energy and ideas".

Mr Brown was a Gateshead Harrier, an athletics coach for the local council and a keen rugby player.