A 16-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed in Huddersfield town centre was a Syrian refugee who came to the UK after being injured in a bombing, his family have said.

Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim died after being stabbed in front of shocked onlookers in the West Yorkshire town last Thursday.

In a statement, the teenager’s family said Ahmad had “just begun settling into his new life” with his uncle after fleeing Syria.

They said he had been injured in a bombing in Homs, western Syria, and came to the UK with the dream of becoming a doctor.

His family said: “He chose to come to the UK because he believed in the values of human rights, safety and dignity. He was full of hope and dreamed of becoming a doctor – wanting to heal others after all he had endured.”

Ahmad was described as “kind, gentle” and as someone who “carried so much promise”. He had been adjusting to a new language and a new home and was “excited” to build his future.

His family added: “Losing him has left an unimaginable emptiness in our hearts. We never thought that the place he saw as a safe haven would be where his life would end. Our only wish now is to lay him to rest in his homeland, Syria. Thank you for helping us honour his memory.”

Alfie Franco, 20, from Kirkburton near Huddersfield, appeared at Leeds crown court on Friday charged with Ahmad’s murder.

Franco was not asked to enter a plea to the charge. He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance listed for 7 May.

West Yorkshire police said previously that Ahmad had only recently moved to Huddersfield from the south Wales area.

The force took the unusual step last week of stating that the incident was not gang-related or linked to any wider dispute, after rumours and misinformation on social media.