THE mother of victim Sergio Marquez says she just wants her son home ‘as soon as possible’.

Ex-pat Shelley Exley, who lives in Sergio’s home town of Coin, in Southern Spain, says she has visited his mother Mari Carmen to pay her respects to his family.

Shelley and another ex-pat Emma Victoria have set-up a Facebook page for people to pay tribute to the 23-year-old Spanish waiter, who was found dead in his Lansdowne flat in Bournemouth last month.

Shelley said: “Mari Carmen just wants her son to be sent home as soon as possible.

“How else would any mother react?

“She appreciates everyone’s messages of support which are given to her personally. She has a lot of support from her family and friends.

“That is all I can say.

“I am a mother myself and can see the pain in her eyes.”

Shelley and fellow ex-pat Emma Victoria established the Sergio Retamar Funeral Flowers/Memorial page to raise money for flowers.

They have already raised enough money for a wreath for Sergio’s funeral when it takes place and are now pouring their energies into fundraising for a tree to plant in his memory as well as a plaque.

British residents are very much part of the community, Mrs Webber said, and socialise through a ladies’ coffee friendship group. The town has been plunged into a state of shock following the death of the popular Spanish student, who only returned to Bournemouth a few months ago after job-hunting in Spain proved unsuccessful.

The former United World School of English student found a job at the Britannia Hotel in Meyrick Road.

l Sergio’s flatmate, 29-year-old Karl Addo, was arrested on suspicion of his murder and he has been bailed to a secure mental unit.

It is understood Mr Addo grew up in Atlanta and studied at the Georgia Institute of Technology before transferring to the University of London.