The Prime Minister has condemned a brutal attack on a teenage asylum seeker in Croydon as “absolutely abominable”.
The 17-year-old Kurdish Iranian boy was set upon and beaten at a bus stop outside The Goat pub on Friday night. He was left for dead with a fractured skull and blood clot on the brain.
On Monday police said the teenager, who had been living in south London, has started to make a recovery following the suspected hate attack in Shrublands Avenue.
Speaking to reporters during a flight to Jordan at the start of a three-day Middle East visit, Theresa May said: “This was an absolutely abominable attack, completely unacceptable.”
She echoed the comments of local MP Gavin Barwell, who branded the attackers “cowardly and despicable scum”.
Mrs May said: “I absolutely agree with the sentiments of Gavin Barwell when he commented on this and I just hope that anybody who has any information about this will give that information to the police."
Five people have been charged with violent disorder, including one man who had an additional charge of racially aggravated grievous bodily harm. Others remain under arrest.
Police are continuing to find other suspects, DS Jane Corrigan said on Monday as it emerged 20 people were caught up in the attack.
