LONDON: The body of a 16-year-old Syrian refugee who was stabbed to death in the UK is being repatriated to his homeland following a local community fundraiser, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

Locals in Huddersfield raised more than 拢15,000 ($19,800) after the killing of Ahmad Mamdouh Al-Ibrahim, whose family described him as 鈥渁 very nice boy鈥� who wanted to be a doctor.

He was stabbed in the neck on April 3 as he was being shown around the town center by his cousin.

Al-Ibrahim had only arrived in Huddersfield two weeks earlier after spending time at a Welsh immigration center and staying with his uncle鈥檚 family during Ramadan.

Funeral prayers were held at Omar Mosque in Huddersfield last Friday, with about 500 people attending.

Alfie Franco, 20, appeared in court two days after the killing. He was charged with murder and remanded in custody until a hearing in May.

The local fundraiser for Al-Ibrahim鈥檚 repatriation was organized by Maneer Siddique, who said he was 鈥渁bsolutely overwhelmed鈥� by the response from the people of Huddersfield.

He had initially hoped to raise about 拢2,000, but the GoFundMe page has surpassed 拢15,000 and continues to climb.

鈥淭o generate that kind of money in such a short space of time is unreal,鈥� said Siddique, who runs a tailoring business.

One benefactor delivered an envelope to be passed on to Al-Ibrahim鈥檚 uncle. 鈥淗e started counting the money and there was 拢500 in the envelope. He was in tears,鈥� Siddique said.

鈥淗e really wants to thank everyone. And I would like to also thank people personally because of the amount of money we鈥檝e generated through people鈥檚 kindness.鈥�

Al-Ibrahim鈥檚 body, accompanied by two relatives, will be taken to Damascus Tuesday evening.

They will then travel to extended family in Homs, where a second funeral will be held this week for Al-Ibrahim鈥檚 burial.

He had been injured by bomb shrapnel during the Syrian civil war, which he was fleeing when he came to Britain.

His uncle said Al-Ibrahim only knew family in Huddersfield, adding: 鈥淗e was trying to make a friend, because he didn鈥檛 have friends here. I said to him, you have to go out into the town center to know (where everything is), to know where you can go shopping 鈥� plus, you鈥檙e going to make friends.鈥�

Numerous cards were left at the site of Al-Ibrahim鈥檚 killing. Some contained messages addressed to 鈥渢he lad I don鈥檛 know,鈥� and were signed by 鈥渁 stranger鈥� and the 鈥渉eartbroken Huddersfield people.鈥�