Hawkins, clearly out to make amends for a totally unjustified killing by four drunken louts in the English town, met with family members at the Al Majid residence, before going into a closed-off room for a further meeting.
Briefing reporters before the closed-door meeting, Hawkins said: "I am here to deliver condolences. We feel the family’s loss and it is also our loss. It is sad such a horrible incident took place in our country, and we are shocked, sad and appalled."
The envoy said hundreds of thousands of people visit the UK from this region and the country welcomes them. "They are our friends and this incident is not typical of our country. People find the UK a welcoming place and on behalf of British citizens here, we express our condolences, sadness and sorrow."
Hawkins said: "We are a country of 60 million people and not everyone is a decent human being. This was a horrendous incident and we apologise, we are very sorry."
Asked whether the incident would mean an exodus of GCC national from the UK, he said people would have to make their own decisions.
Meanwhile, Hastings Member of Parliament Michael Foster has gone on record saying he was ashamed of the racism prevailing in his constituency. “The suggestion that this should have happened in our town is something I’m ashamed about”, he said.
Language school managers, representatives of several ethnic communities, student representatives, local politicians and police took part in a town hall meeting in the town and outright condemned the murder of the young Qatari, which is being termed an attack fuelled by ignorant bigotry.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Ling said solving the murder and bringing the killers to book was a priority with the local constabulary. He said there was no evidence Al Majid died in the brutal attack but lost his life after hitting his head on the ground. The officer also said the ambulance had arrived in time as Al Majid was kept in a patrol car while officers sought to sort out the set-to before he was placed in the ambulance.
A memorial service for young Al Majid was due to be held at a Hastings shopping centre while police have set up special hotlines for witnesses or others in the know to provide vital information.
According to crime figures released by Sussex Police, there were 30 crimes recorded against foreign language students in Hastings between April 1 and August 26 this year. The figure for the corresponding period in 2007 was 32, while in 2006 it was 36.
