Police have launched a murder hunt after a 23-year-old student was stabbed to death as he celebrated a friend's birthday.

John Rees, from Shoreham, a student at Portsmouth University, collapsed after being knifed in the stomach early yesterday.

He was taken by ambulance to the nearby Queen Alexandra Hospital, but died a short time later.

Police said his relatives had been informed. The victim was said to be a fourth year computer science student and police said his parents are from the Brighton and Shoreham areas.

A post mortem examination carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Alan Anscombe yesterday revealed Mr Rees died from a single stab wound to the chest.

Police spokesman Kevin Briscoe said four friends, all students at Portsmouth, had been celebrating the birthday of one of the group.

He said the three men and one woman had spent the evening at the Pyramids Club in Southsea.

During the evening they were involved in an altercation with another group in the club.

Mr Briscoe said: "They left the club shortly before 2am and were walking across a common on their way home.

"There was an altercation between them and another group walking across the common.

"The victim was stabbed in the stomach with a knife and later died.

"It is not know at this stage if the incidents inside the club and later on at the common are connected."

Police sealed off the common to search for a murder weapon.

They appealed to residents to search their gardens and bins for a knife.

John's mother, Rosalynd, was too upset to talk about her son's death yesterday.

She lives with her new husband Tony Ridge in a smart detached seafront bungalow in Old Fort Road, Shoreham Beach.

Both were at home awaiting further details of John's death from police.

Mrs Ridge said: "We don't want to say anything at the moment."