AN outpouring of sympathy for a Kurdish refugee who met a violent death has led to a flood of donations.

The stabbing of 22-year-old Mohammed Ali at the Cleveland Shopping Centre, Middlesbrough, just after Christmas sent shockwaves throughout the local community.

Many were so anxious to show their compassion for the dead man, that they rang the North of England Refugee Service pledging donations. Within the close-knit Muslim community to which Mr Ali belonged, the desire to help was particularly strong.

Foremost of its concerns was that he receive the traditional burial required by the religion which, without a family to pay for it, seemed unlikely to happen.

So church elders organised a collection throughout the town's mosques to raise the possible £2,000 needed. At the same time, the North of England Refugees Service decided to organise a fund through Mr Ali's solicitors, Miles Hutchinson Lithgow.

The Muslim community has already set the fundraising ball rolling by collecting £1,800.

Mobeen Mehdi, chairman of the Jamia Mosque, said: "I still think more might be needed, but we are contacting the police to make arrangements for the burial. Obviously, there's a lot of sympathy within the community for Mr Ali. We feel even more compassion because his family are not here."

Mr Ali moved to the UK with his cousin in 1999 after escaping Sadam Hussain's regime in Iraq.

Another Kurdish refugee, Ali Abdulla Mahmud, 27, has been charged with his murder.

Pete Widlinski, a team leader at the Refugee Service, said: "We have been overwhelmed by the amount of calls we've received from Teessiders who want to help."

Anyone wishing to make a donation should make out a cheque to Miles Hutchinson Lithgow and send it to The North of England Refugees Service, 27 Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 4AD