Man left to die after argument with youth

Police are today investigating the murder of a man who died after arguing with a teenage boy.

Father of two Gary Rae, 40, was beaten to the ground and left in a pool of blood outside his Sussex home when the boy returned with about five friends.

Officers said the row had involved a relationship with a woman. They have since arrested a number of young men in connection with the incident.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony O'Donnell, leading the investigation, said the motive for the murder was unclear but he confirmed that it was not a "random" incident.

He said: "Although we are at the early stages of our investigation, we believe this incident was not a random attack and that the victim and the offenders were known to each other. We have identified around six youths who we believe to be involved and although we are still trying to establish a motive, one possibility is that this was a result of an altercation over a relationship."

Mr Rae was found by passers-by bleeding heavily outside his flat in the centre of Hailsham on Sunday evening after the gang's attack.

He died from his injuries at Eastbourne District General Hospital. Police expect the results of a postmortem examination today.

Mr Rae was not stabbed but officers were scouring a nearby graveyard for a weapon which they believe may have been used.

A large area of the town centre is sealed off with police tape while a forensics tent has been put up at the scene of the attack behind the man's flat.

A police spokeswoman added: "I can confirm there was a large amount of blood at the scene and I can definitively say we are still hunting for a weapon and that it is not a knife."

One man who lives close to the murder scene said: "I moved down here from south London to get away from this kind of stuff."

Teaching assistant Martin Tillman, 55, said: "There are so many gangs of lads around of an evening and there is always vandalism taking place. It is a no-go area and people keep out of town."

Sussex police have asked anyone who was in the High Street area of Hailsham at the time of the attack to come forward with information.