Refugee who fled war in Syria murdered in UK

The body of Abraham Ismail, aged 23, was discovered on a street corner at around 3:30am on Saturday morning during one of the busiest Friday's of the year.

According to the Birmingham Mail, the young man was rushed to hospital, however died from his wounds during the journey.

Friends of Ismail have set up a fundraising page to help cover the costs of his funeral.

"Abraham was a 23-year-old hardworking, humble, caring and kind hearted brother," a statement on the page reads.

"Abraham unfortunately has no family here in the United Kingdom and we are not sure about his family's whereabouts because they live in Syria.

"Abraham had fled Syria in order to find a better standard of living here in Birmingham, the UK. However, he was tragically murdered."

A wide police cordon was put in place around the crime scene on Saturday, where a blue forensic tent was also set up.

"We are still trying to piece together what happened in the street in the early hours of the morning," Detective Inspector Paul Joyce, from Force CID, said.

"We are looking into reports there was an altercation but I would urge anybody with any information to get in contact with me and my team as soon as possible."

Police have yet to establish a motive or name any suspects related to the killing.

However, Ismail was murdered on a night that has become notorious for being one of the busiest for emergency services during the run up to Christmas when public drunkeness is common.

Known as "Mad Friday", the day earns its name due to the large number of people who go out for Christmas parties on this night. It leads to a higher number of accidents, fights and alcohol-related incidents.

In 2015, police in the same area arrested 18 people for drunkenness and assault, including one incident involving an attack on an ambulance worker.