Danyelle and Daryl Davis, left, and George Walder and his brother, Jack, top right, appeared in court yesterday. Police are still seeking two men, bottom right

Five people, including a brother and sister, appeared in court yesterday in connection with an alleged attack on an asylum seeker that the prime minister condemned as despicable.

Reker Ahmed, 17, a Kurdish Iranian, suffered a fractured spine and a brain haemorrhage when he was set upon by a gang as he waited at a bus stop in Croydon, southeast London, with two friends.

Police said yesterday that Reker, who had been living and studying in the area for months, was lucky to have survived the allegedly unprovoked attack.

Up to 30 people were involved in the incident in which Reker was punched and kicked after being approached outside The Goat pub on Friday night. His friends, who were also asylum seekers, escaped with minor