AN ASYLUM seeker has burned himself with an iron and gone on hunger strike after being told he was to be deported.

Religious and political groups in Nelson have launched a letter-writing campaign in support of up-and-coming designer Fahmi Khalaf, a Kurd from Syria, who has vowed to die rather than face deportation.

Fahmi, 28, of Belgrave Street, Nelson, became a star pupil during two years studying fashion design at Burnley College, where staff and fellow students are concerned for his fate.

He had been awarded a place at Salford University to study fashion and design shortly before he was arrested in Burnley on September 7 and sent to Campsfield detention centre, near Oxford.

He is believed to have burnt his legs, arms and body with an iron while in the centre on September 11. He is currently in the medical unit and has not eaten for 20 days.

According to his supporters, Fahmi is afraid to go back to Syria because he and his family have suffered at the hands of the Ba'athist regime because they are Kurdish.

They said his mother is dead, he has an elderly father in Turkey and two brothers who have been granted leave to remain in Huddersfield.

His tutor at the college Keith Makhubu said: "Fahmi is easily the best student I have ever had and he potentially had a great career ahead of him.

"He was probably among the top 10 per cent in the country and some top designers had expressed an interest in giving him a placement.

"He would often walk from Nelson to Burnley College to save any money he had for sketchbooks and we literally had to chase him out of the studio at the end of the day.

"I'm concerned because he's in a terrible predicament and he's done nothing wrong."

One of the first people Fahmi met in Nelson was Brian Wilkinson, 65, of Piccadilly, in Manchester, who is staying with relatives in Brierfield to assist with the campaign for his release.

He said: "Fahmi put his trust in the system and it let him down very badly. I have been to see him in Campsfield three times and he is very unwell.

"Fahmi has been in custody in Syria before and to send him back is like murder. Fahmi has told me he would rather die than face jail, torture and death in Syria."

Moira Ormerod, of the Nelson-based Building Bridges Interfaith Community project, which campaigns for the welfare of asylum seekers, said: "We are asking people to write to David Blunkett to ask him to reconsider and to raise awareness of this situation.

"Through the church we are trying to arrange a group of people who could go to Syria to protect Fahmi if he is sent back and there is a volunteer with their bags packed ready to go with him."

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "We can confirm a detainee at Campsfield House Removal Centre attempted self-harm earlier this month.

"The detainee was treated in hospital and returned to the centre the same day. As with every detainee considered to be at risk of self harm, arrangements exist to ensure that they are given the care and support they need.

"It's deeply regrettable that somebody would choose this kind of action.

"All asylum applications are dealt with on their individual merits but when an asylum application has been refused and all appeals have been exhausted the Government will seek to remove the individual from the UK as they have no legal right to remain in this country."