Sittingbourne student Najibullah Hashimi has lost his appeal to stay in the UK after fleeing his homeland of Afghanistan.

Despite a campaign backing the Sittingbourne Community College student, a judge ruled he must be deported back to Kabul.

The news was broken to the 19-year-old by his solicitor over the phone.

He said: "They are playing with my life. I'm not sure what the future holds for me."

Just as in previous appeals, Najibullah said he feared he would be killed if he returned to his home country. He also argued how he'd made a life for himself since arriving on the back of a lorry at Dover aged 14.

But it seems his pleas fell on deaf ears - as did an online petition signed by more than 2,300 people when his case was heard at London's Taylor House Immigration and Asylum Tribunal Court on April 24. The decision came almost four weeks later.

Najibullah said today: "They say because I'm over the age of 18 I can return home and look after myself.

"I haven't been able to eat or sleep properly since I was told the news. I was crying so much.

"My solicitor is going through the paperwork to see if I can make another appeal against the decision. I've got until Friday to do it. In the meantime I'm going to continue with my studies."

Najib, his mother, sister and uncle fled the northern Afghan city of Baghlan and moved to Pakistan after his father and brother were killed by an "area commander".

Three years later, news reached them that this man had tracked them down. As a result they decided Najib should flee to England. He arrived on February 27, 2009.

After a short stay in Ashford, he was moved to a foster family in Sittingbourne before being taken in by Steve and Michelle Griffiths who live with their two children in Faversham.

He is now fluent in English, lives independently, has 13 GCSEs and is in his last year studying towards a BTEC diploma in sport.

The keen cricketer added: "No one wants to be in this situation, it's no life. Why would I leave my family for no reason, why would a mother send her son off? Nobody would do that without a good reason, nobody."

Mr Griffiths said: "If he gets kicked out the country it's going to be like losing a son."