Two brothers appeared in Court in connection with an alleged hatchet attack on a man inside a Bradford chippie last week.

Mohammed Arif, 30, and Mohammed Kershid, 27, both of Parsonage Road, West Bowling, Bradford, are charged with violent disorder.

Arif is also accused of wounding Zulfiqar Ali with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

But defence solicitor Rachim Singh told Bradford Magi-strates' Court that both men were not even present during the incident in the Little Horton area of the city on Friday last week.

After asking for reporting restrictions to be lifted, Mr Singh said: "There were numerous other people in the vicinity. I am looking for witnesses who can name the people who were present and exonerate my clients to come along and say it was a case of them not being there."

Stephen Gration, prosecuting, said Mr Ali was walking along Central Avenue, Little Horton, with friends at about 10.30pm on October 15. He was confronted by a group of men in vehicles and was assaulted in the street by the men, who he alleged included the defendant Arif.

He managed to escape into a nearby fish and chip shop but was followed by three men, including Arif, and was persistently assaulted by them, using their fists, claimed Mr Gration.

He then heard Arif say: "Get the tools" and one of the men went outside, where Kershid directed him to the boot of a car, said Mr Gration.

He alleged the man returned with a hatchet and Mr Ali was struck with the blunt end of it, before Arif ordered the man to pass the hatchet to him and Mr Ali was hit four or five times on the head.

He suffered wounds to his head which bled profusely, and other injuries to his arms and shoulders, said Mr Gration.

Applying for his clients to be bailed, Mr Singh said there were "grave and serious doubts" about the allegations against them and they were not arrested until almost a week after the incident.

"The only evidence there seems to be is what the complainant and his best friend have said. The majority view, in telephone calls to my office, is that these two defendants were not even there. One man the police are looking for was named in interview - he was the main aggressor.

"The real culprits cannot be found," added Mr Singh. "These people are aware that the police are looking for them. They have disappeared, for whatever reason - that is a matter for them."

He said Arif had given the police a detailed account of his whereabouts that night and Kershid had stated he was at home with his family.

Mr Singh asked for anyone with information to call his office on (01274) 731366.

Both men were granted conditional bail to appear in court again on November 19.

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