He went on to explain how 18-year-old Supenthar who was doing a foundation course studying mathematics and science at Harrow College had unwittingly become enmeshed in a violent gang war.

Mr Singh, a supervisor at Kwik Save where Supenthar worked said: "he was a lovely quiet gentle guy, but one day he had a fight at the college, it was a very big fight and the gang who picked o him were Muslims.

"A gang of Sri Lankan Hindus helped him. They told him not to go to the police that they would sort things out 'their' way. They said we'll look after you now."

But the college denied there was a fight and said Supenthar, who had registered with them in October, was a "quiet and talented student" who had simply "drifted away".

Supenthar who had high hopes of becoming an engineer when he came to the UK 15 months before, pretended to his 50-year-old uncle, Yohkeswaran Ramachandran who he lived with in Wembley, that he was still attending classes.

Then one day in January Supenthar did not turn up for his Saturday shift in Kwiksave.

Mr Singh explained: "He finally came on the Tuesday afternoon saying he had something to tell me. 'I've been arrested' he said, the police found a bullet in my pocket, I am in very deep now, things are getting out of hand, I need to get out of here.

The next time I saw him he said he had found somewhere to stay in Birmingham where he planned to finish his studies."

The night he was murdered witnesses saw a man who police are convinced was Supenthar bundled into a H-reg white Nissan Micra in Wembley.

Some reports say Supenthar was in debt to a gang and others say the killing was motivated by a rivalry over a girl.

Three youths age 17, 19 and 21 were arrested on March 1 in connection with the murder of Supenthar. They have been bailed pending police inquiries.