AN inquest into the death of asylum seeker Nasser Ahmed will be held in Burnley on November 1.

Mr Ahmed, 36, was found hanged at his home in Railway Street, Nelson, in August after he received a letter from the Home Office saying his application for asylum had been refused.

Two days later around 2,000 people attended a service at the Central Mosque in Nelson to pay their last respects to the Eritrean Muslim, who had fled to this country to avoid the civil war in the province.

Around 50 friends and acquaintances of Nasser, of several different religions, also joined together at a 15-minute memorial service held outside the drop-in centre at St John's, Southworth.

Mr Ahmed had been in the country for more than a year and was said by friends to be afraid of being sent back. He had been in jail there and friends said he was afraid of being returned to prison.

Along with other asylum seekers he had attended Nelson and Colne College where courses including computers and English are available.

His death followed that just nine months earlier of another asylum seeker, Iranian Saeid Alawei who an inquest was told hanged himself from a bannister at his home in Veevers Street, Brierfield, on December 21, 2000.

Mr Alawei was said to have fallen out with friends and to have been emotionally upset.