Teenager stabbed to death as rival Afghan groups clash in town

A confrontation between the two factions spilled out into the street in Marine Terrace, Folkestone, Kent, just before 8.30pm on Monday night.

Five people were detained and further arrests are expected as police try to establish a motive for what sparked the disorder.

There have been tensions between groups from similar backgrounds in the town recently, resulting in arrests, according to police.

But senior officers stressed that knife crime and the type of violence seen last night were rare for the area, and that it could not have been predicted.

Chief Superintendent Chris Hogben, of Kent Police, said: "It would appear that there was a group of Afghan men having a party in Marine Terrace and another, who they were in dispute with, turned up.

"There was an initial confrontation in the building where we suspect that someone may well have been stabbed and it spilled out of the building and this is where most of the fighting took place."

He added: "As a result my officers then found four people with stab wounds, one tragically has since died.

"Another is critically ill in hospital and two others have stab wounds but they are not critically ill."

More than 30 people were fighting or milling around when officers arrived. All those involved are believed to be aged between 15 and 18.

The dead teenager has not been formally identified. Officers are investigating offences ranging from murder to violent disorder.