'Refugees welcome': MP praises graffiti near scene of vicious asylum seeker attack

Gavin Barwell MP: "I don't generally approve of graffiti but saw this in Shrublands today."
Twitter/Gavin Barwell
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Graffiti in Croydon carrying the message "refugees welcome" has been praised in the aftermath of a savage attack on an asylum seeker.

A Kurdish Iranian boy, 17, was left with a fractured skull and blood clot on his brain after he was viciously attacked at a bus stop outside The Goat pub at around 11.40pm on Friday.

Speaking out on the horrific assault, Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell said the borough is “one of the most diverse bits of London and people of different backgrounds get along very well.”

The Conservative MP and Housing minister, who branded the attacker as “scum”, posted a picture on Twitter of graffiti daubed near the scene that seems to echo his statement.

He captioned the picture, which shows the words "refugees welcome" scrawled in capitals on an electricity box: “I don’t generally approve of graffiti but saw this in Shrublands today…”

Police say the youngster was repeatedly kicked in the head as he lay on the floor in the assault that Mr Barwell described as “cowardly and despicable.

The MP told the BBC: "I described them on Twitter as scum. I think this is a cowardly and despicable attack.

"It appears that this young boy that sought sanctuary in this country has been set upon by a whole group of people.

Cordon: The attack happened outside a pub
London Live

"And I hope that we will find the people responsible."

Mr Barwell added: "The other thing that I would say is that what happened here is not representative of this community and that Croydon is one of the most diverse bits of London and people of different backgrounds get along very well."

Eight people are being held on suspicion of attempted murder following a series of arrests over the weekend.

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