Nine arrests now made since 17-year-old was set upon by large gang when he told them he was an asylum seeker

Detectives have detained three more people in connection with an attack on a teenage asylum seeker in Croydon that left the victim with a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain. The arrests bring the total in the investigation to nine.



The boy was with two friends late on Friday night at a bus stop in Croydon when he was approached by a group of about eight people, who demanded to know where he was from. After saying he was seeking asylum, the gang chased and attacked him.

The teenager, a Kurdish Iranian aged 17, was left unconscious after receiving repeated blows to the head. On Sunday he was said to be in a serious but stable condition in hospital. The other two youths suffered minor injuries.



Gavin Barwell, the Conservative MP for Croydon Central, said he was “appalled” by the attack, while the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said he was “absolutely shocked”.

Scotland Yard on Sunday said six people in their 20s had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and violent disorder late on Saturday at addresses in Croydon. The group consisted of a 24-year-old man, a 24-year-old woman, three 20-year-old men and a 20-year-old woman. The latter was subsequently released without charge.



Later on Sunday a 23-year-old man was arrested in Croydon on suspicion of attempted murder, as well as a 26-year-old man and 17-year-old girl, both detained on suspicion of attempted murder and violent disorder.

Investigating officer Kris Blamires, of Croydon CID, described the incident in Shrublands Avenue, opposite the Goat pub, as a “brutal attack”.

“He has sustained serious head and facial injuries as a result of this attack, which included repeated blows to the head by a large group of attackers,” he said. “A number of people came to the aid of the victim as he lay unconscious and injured following the assault.”

One witness said up to 20 people watched as the attack took place. The resident of Shrublands Avenue said: “You couldn’t see who was hitting who. There was one person, the one who ended up in hospital, he was getting absolutely beaten up – kicked, mostly in the facial area. He was getting kicked and punched by everyone.

“There was a group of roughly 10 people that was kicking and punching him, and the rest, another 10 or 20, were all just around watching. Then when they heard sirens, they started to go.



“People that were there, witnesses, because they couldn’t do anything against a group of 30 people, they had to wait until they moved off, and that’s when they managed to help him. That’s eventually when the ambulance and police [arrived], and that was it.”

Barwell described the attackers as “scum”. He said: “I think most people in Croydon will be as appalled as I am that what appears to have happened is a young man who came to this country seeking sanctuary has apparently been targeted because of his ethnic background. It’s an appalling crime, and I hope the people responsible are caught quickly and receive the full force of British justice.”



He added that Croydon was a diverse community and generally had “very good relations between people of different backgrounds”.



Corbyn tweeted: “Absolutely shocked at attack on young Kurdish asylum seeker, who came here searching for safety. I fervently hope he makes a full recovery.”

Jeremy Corbyn MP (@jeremycorbyn) Absolutely shocked at attack on young Kurdish asylum seeker, who came here searching for safety. I fervently hope he makes a full recovery.

The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, also condemned the attack, and suggested the Conservatives had failed to get to grips with hate crime. “Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, but part of a sustained increase in hate crimes that this Tory government is yet to offer any effective response to,” she said.



“With rightwing politicians across the world scapegoating migrants, refugees and others for their economic problems, we are seeing a deeply worrying rise in the politics of hate. We must make clear that there is no place for anti-foreigner myths, racism and hate in our society.”

The director of advocacy at the Refugee Council, Lisa Doyle, said: “We’re disgusted to hear that a young man who fled to this country in fear of his life has been subjected to such a vicious hate crime in the very place he hoped to find safety.

“Hate crimes have no place in Britain or anywhere else. We hope the perpetrators of this appalling attack are swiftly brought to justice and we wish the victim a full and speedy recovery.”



Blamires added: “At this early stage, it is believed that about eight suspects approached the victim as he waited at a bus stop with two friends outside the Goat public house in the Shrublands area. It is understood that the suspects asked the victim where he was from, and when they established that he was an asylum seeker, they chased him and launched a brutal attack.”

Detectives are investigating whether some of those involved had been drinking in the Goat.

Managers at the pub said they were saddened to hear of the incident, adding: “We do not in any way condone such action and we will do anything within our powers to help police to bring those that carried out this act to book. To the victim, we pray for his speedy recovery.”

Police are urging those who helped the boy or anyone who witnessed the attack to call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.