Foreign student SOS sticker plea

Ms Cronin wants other host families to display a special SOS sticker

A woman who looks after foreign students wants people to display a sticker so youngsters know where to go if they are in trouble in Sussex.

Lori Cronin, from Eastbourne, is worried that exchange pupils feel they have nowhere to find help if they are victims of crime.

A 14-year-old Eastbourne girl was convicted of punching a German girl for her mobile phone last week.

But Sussex Police said the town was a very safe place for foreign visitors.

Eastbourne expects to host more than 26,000 students by the end of 2008.

'Reduced incidents'

Ms Cronin has called for other host families to display a special SOS sticker in their window to show students that they can seek refuge in the house.

She said: "I'm worried that one evening I'm going to get called and that one of my students has been stabbed."

Eastbourne Borough Council drew up guidelines in 2006 aimed at protecting foreign students in the town from attack.

Since 2006 assaults on youngsters visiting Eastbourne from overseas have dropped, according to police.

Sussex Police Ch Insp Dick Coates said: "It is very safe for the students.

"We've had a similar amount of incidents as we had last year, and last year we reduced the incidents by 50% on the previous year."