HE fled his country to avoid endless torture. Now three years on Lal from Burma is going through his fourth application to stay in England or face certain death.

Members of Shirley Baptist Church, where the 25-year-old worships, have written 100 letters supporting his appeal against returning to his homeland - now called Myanmar.

They have given Lal a home, shelter and food since his third appeal failed in 2003 and his benefits were stopped.

During that time Lal, a committed Christian, has integrated himself into the community taking part in fundraising events and enrolling on college courses.

He raised £2,300 in a charity bicycle ride from Devon to St Boniface Church, Nursling, for SCRATCH (Southampton City and Region Action to Combat Hardship).

Lal also raised £3,000 for Children in Need after rowing along the River Thames and he has taken part in a boat-building project for youngsters at Priestlands School, Lymington, with Colin Jones, who is also supporting Lal's case.

The retired schoolteacher from Rownhams said: "He has been of enormous help to local projects."

Now Mr Jones, a member of St John's Church in Rownhams, is helping Lal prepare for his next appeal with 12 new pieces of evidence being submitted to the Home Office as to why he should stay in this country.

These include the fact that misspellings and typographical errors in previous legal documents were misleading.

"We are optimistic," said Mr Jones who has already spoken with Lal's new solicitor.

"We have no idea of the timescale and know there are monumental piles of documents to work through.

"He has been on his own in this country and it's a credit to him that he has made an enormous number of friends. He is a skilled diesel engineer, he's a computer man and enrolled on courses at Southampton City College and Itchen College.

Lal said: "If I go back there is no hope. If I stay in this country there is hope."

He was able to escape from brutal government rebels during the night by crossing the border into India before flying from Bombay to Paris.

His mother gave him the equivalent of £2,300 after pawning her house and selling a buffalo, which Lal paid to an unscrupulous agent who masterminded his escape with a fake passport.

A Department for Constitutional Affairs spokesman said the merger this month of the Immigration Adjudicators and Immigration Appeal Tribunal would provide a "fast fair and efficient service."

A spokesman for the Myanmar Embassy in London said: "Whether he stays here or not is up to the British government."

He added that he did not know of Lal or anything about his situation, and refused to comment on the treatment the 25-year-old had experienced in his homeland.