DETECTIVES on the Isle of Wight have launched a murder inquiry after the body of a taxi driver was found at Cowes.

A post-mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist last night found Paul Jaques Rosenberg had died of serious head injuries.

Senior officers confirmed that they are investigating whether the incident was racially motivated.

Mr Rosenberg was a dark-skinned South African.

Superintendent David Kil-bride, the Isle of Wight's most senior officer, said: "We are looking at the racial implication of this very, very closely.

"We are consulting members of the ethnic community at the moment.

"We want to make them aware of the incident and assure them that we are looking at all the implications of the incident.

"We are reaching out in a real effort to reassure the ethnic community at a time of great tragedy."

A major incident room has been set up at Ryde to investigate the death.

Five people were helping police with their inquiries after being arrested in the vicinity of the footpath linking busy Newport Road to Somerton Middle School where Mr Rosenberg, 56, was found in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Two men and two women have since been released while another man is still being questioned.

The five people currently held by police are thought to be from Cowes and in their late teens or early 20s.

It is thought that the three men and two women were passengers in Mr Rosenberg's cab who had been returning from a night out in Newport.

Mr Rosenberg is thought to live alone at a flat in Main Road, Rookley.

He drove a red Ford for Newport-based 3Cs private hire firm.

The Isle of Wight coroner was due to open an inquest this morning.