A hearing to decide whether a popular Afghan student can stay on the east coast is due to be held in April.

Murad Khan is facing a deportation battle after being seized by immigration officials in October.

An immediate campaign was launched for his release and he was allowed back to his Lowestoft home and has now lodged an appeal to stay in the UK.

The 18-year-old came to the UK as an asylum seeker four years ago.

Since then he has become a respected and highly regarded member of the community, and is studying at East Norfolk Sixth Form College in Gorleston.

His appeal hearing was due to be held in December but has been pushed back to April. His teachers at the college said he was now concentrating on preparing a statement for his hearing, outlining his family's plight in Afghanistan, to help back his case.

A petition supporting his appeal to stay in the UK, meanwhile has attracted more than 92,000 signatures.

It was started by Emma Herod, English and religious studies teacher at the college, and will be sent to Home Secretary Teresa May.