Was Muslim 'model student' the victim of a race murder?

An A-level student who dreamed of becoming a lawyer was stabbed to death as he waited on a railway platform.

In what police are treating as an unprovoked attack, Ahmed Hassan, 17, was knifed in the back while out shopping for presents for Christmas and the Muslim festival of Eid.

Officers were questioning three white teenagers, aged 17, 18 and 19, in connection with the murder at Dewsbury railway station in West Yorkshire.

Dewsbury and its surrounding towns have some of the largest Muslim populations in the UK with around a quarter of the population being Asian.

It came to national attention two years ago when it emerged that one of the 7/7 bombers, Mohammad Sidique Khan, lived there.

Community leaders have refused to speculate about whether the crime might have been racially motivated, fearing it would lead to heightened tensions.

A police spokesman has said only that detectives were "keeping an open mind".

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Prominent figures in the community have paid tribute to Ahmed, who was described as "thoughtful, gentle and sensitive" by his headmaster.

His parents Yasmin, 36, and Ibrahim Hassan, 37, were comforted by relatives at their home in Batley, West Yorkshire.

Mr Hassan, a market trader, and his wife have four children and were said to be "incredibly proud" of Ahmed, the eldest.

A relative said: "The family is really grieving. We want justice. I don't know what to say.

"It is all here in my heart at the moment and I can't put what has happened into words. It's an awful thing. We need to grieve our loss."

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Local councillor Shabir Pandor, who visited the family at the weekend, said: "They are absolutely devastated by this tragedy and are racked with grief.

"Ahmed was a model son, a gifted student who was destined for success and his parents were extremely proud of him."

Ahmed is believed to have been attacked on a platform at around 2pm on Saturday.

Police said he was stabbed once in the back.

He was taken to Dewsbury General Hospital but doctors were unable to save him. Dave Poole, 51, who works in the station snack bar, said: "There was a sudden commotion out in the entrance way.

"I could see people running and screaming away from the platform entrance.

"At first I thought it was a fight that had broken out - just a gang of lads or something."

But Mr Poole said he went to investigate and saw the victim "covered in blood, obviously very badly hurt and definitely conscious".

He added: "We could hear him moaning and groaning. It must have been horrible for his friends."

Ahmed was studying for A-Levels in politics, maths, law and economics at Heckmondwike Grammar School, a selective state school nearby.

Headmaster Mark Tweedle said: "He quickly impressed as a thoughtful and articulate young man who was gentle, kind and sensitive."

"As one of his teachers remarked, 'if the world was full of Ahmed Hassans, it would be a very much better place'."

Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

However, Detective Superintendent Paul Kennedy, who is leading the inquiry, was not available for comment yesterday.

Councillor Mary Harkin said: "I have spoken to the police and they are investigating to see whether it was a racially motivated attack.

"They have three white lads in custody at the moment but it is early in the investigation and they have to examine everything very closely."