Foreign students are too scared to visit Frinton due to regular attacks by gangs of youngsters.

That is the claim of Sir Paul Lever, the British Ambassador in Berlin, who has received complaints from teachers at a German school.

He has written to Frinton and Walton Town Council to highlight the problem.

"A number of German pupils who were staying in Frinton as part of an educational visit were beaten up on their way home in the early evening," he said.

"The teachers also claim there is a regular pattern of attacks in the town on Friday evenings against young foreign particularly German students."

The incident took place in Connaught Avenue at 8.40pm on October 4.

The teachers said it was the third year they had visited Frinton and 28 youngsters went to the resort and stayed with host families who were very friendly.

However, they said there were some youths in the town who "hunt down" Germans on Friday nights.

Town councillors were appalled to hear of the attack and condemned it at their meeting last night.

Mayor Nick Turner said he had immediately replied to the ambassador and taken the matter up with police.

Published Friday November 1, 2002

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