Five boys held over 'hate crime' death of Polish man

Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Polish man in a possible hate crime.

Two Polish men were set upon outside a row of takeaway shops in Harlow on Saturday night in what Essex Police believe to have been an unprovoked attack.

One man, aged 40, died of head injuries on Monday and the other, a 43-year-old, was discharged from hospital after being treated for suspected hand fractures and bruising to his stomach.

The men, both from Harlow, were targeted in The Stow in the town at around 11.35pm on Saturday.

Essex Police said one line of investigation was that it was a hate crime.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Al Pitcher, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "This is now a murder investigation and our inquiries have quickly led to the arrest of five teenage boys.

"Following this vicious attack, a man has sadly lost his life and I urge anyone with information to contact us as soon as possible."

Police will be carrying out extra patrols in the area to provide reassurance to the community.

Four 15-year-old boys and one aged 16, all from Harlow, remained in police custody on Tuesday.