Sajid Javid has said the  attack on Jamal reminded him of racist abuse he received at school.

The Home Secretary spoke about the shocking video which was widely shared of the Syrian refugee.

But said that for him it provoked a very personal response.

"To be frank it reminded me of an incident I had when I was 11 at school that’s the immediate memories that came back to me and obviously I hated it and I thought how that young boy must feel," he told Radio Four’s Today programme.

Mr Javid, whose family came to the UK from Pakistan, explained that he had been attacked at school because he was Asian.

He said that offensive language played a part in the attacks.

"When I was 11 when I had just started my new comprehensive school in a very similar incident. It was unavoidable those memories flooded back for me."

Shocking mobile phone footage emerged of a youngster called Jamal being attacked and threatened with drowning in a playground at Almondbury Community School.

The Syrian refugee, had endured months of racist bullying in the school in Sheffield.

Jamal’s family had fled war-torn Homs before making their way to Britain as refugees.

A GoFundMe page set up to support the family had received almost £150,000 in donations on Friday morning.

Speaking outside his school in Huddersfield, West Yorks, last week, Jamal told supporters: "Thanks for everything.”

The Home Secretary said he had written to Jamal and that he would like to sit down with the teen and his family over a cup of tea.

He said he was "outraged" by the attack.

But he said: "When that was on social media, the heart-warming bit was to know that so many people cared and they were outraged by it."

A 16-year-old boy has been interviewed over the attack, and reported for summons for an offence of assault ahead of a youth court appearance.

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