Summary

  • Cardiff police have set out a timeline of events leading up to the deaths of two teenagers in a crash on Monday which led to riots in the Ely area

  • Best friends Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in the crash on Snowden Road - police say no other vehicle was involved

  • CCTV has captured a police van following the pair, but it would appear bollards at the end of one street meant the police couldn't follow further

  • Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon said the police vehicle was half a mile away when the crash took place

  • The police have previously insisted that the two teenagers were not being chased by police when they were killed

  • Police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), is to independently investigate the incident

  1. Resident carried terrified children away from homepublished at 20:06 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Ely resident Rob says he and his partner tried to leave their home with their newborn baby and two other children at about 01:00.

    But the way was blocked by police in one direction and a burned car in the other.

    Officers, he said, told them to leave on foot.

    He said: “We couldn’t get out, we were stuck. I carried my three kids to my dad’s [house] a few streets up."

    He said they were terrified.

    "I ended up stood outside in my front garden, you had to protect your house," Rob said.

    Quote Message

    I’ve lived in Ely all my life, and I’ve always liked to think I’m safe. But I didn’t feel like it last night, it wasn’t nice.”

    Rob, Ely resident

  2. 'It was like something on telly'published at 19:51 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Viki Takata said the scene was one of "carnage"

    Ely resident Vikki Takata says she saw "loads of riot vans" when looking out of her window last night.

    A helicopter, she says, was "shining the torch down on us".

    "It was carnage... I've never seen anything like it other than on the telly," she added.

    "The police with the shields were all literally opposite my car."

  3. Ashes, debris and wreckage at Cardiff riot scenepublished at 19:31 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Tomos Morgan reports from Ely in Cardiff where two teenagers died in a crash before a riot broke out.

    Read More
  4. 'You wonder if it's going to happen again'published at 19:19 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    A resident named Dean says he heard "cars on fire" and "explosions on Stanway Road” at between 19:00 and 20:00.

    The 34-year-old was at home with his partner and two young children.

    He said: “Then about 10:30 I heard the helicopters above and sirens, police telling people to get away from the cars and the explosions.

    “There was smoke billowing from the street, it was absolutely atrocious.

    “It makes you wonder if it’s going to happen again."

  5. CCTV footage captured about half a mile from crashpublished at 19:07 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    The CCTV footage appearing to show a police van following the scooter or electric bike was recorded on Frank Road - about half a mile from the crash.

    The video's time stamp shows it was recorded at 17:59 on Monday, shortly before the fatal crash on Snowden Road in Ely.

    For anyone who'd like a sense of the distance between them, we've made a satellite map of the area to help:

    Map showing CCTV footage location and collision location in Ely, CardiffImage source, .
  6. Why were we not told that this morning? Reporters confront policepublished at 18:54 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Police refuse to answer questions about CCTV footage appearing to show moments before the Cardiff crash.

    Read More
  7. IOPC issues statementpublished at 18:46 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has issued a statement after South Wales Police referred itself to the police watchdog.

    It says: “We have been contacted this afternoon by South Wales Police to make a referral regarding the circumstances leading up to the fatal collision in Ely yesterday.

    "We will be sending investigators to a police post-incident procedure to begin gathering information and to assess whether the IOPC will carry out an independent investigation.”

  8. A very difficult 24 hourspublished at 18:37 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Tomos Morgan
    Reporting from Cardiff

    There's a lot of people out on the streets already tonight questioning what happened last night.

    Ely has had a reputation over the years. The Ely riots took place almost 32 years ago.

    It took a number of years for the community here to get rid of that reputation, but it also has a reputation as a close-knit working-class community and I've seen that as the day has gone on.

    Flowers have been laid in the street where those fatalities took place. Earlier today, friends and families have come together to grieve together.

    But people have also spoken about a distrust in the police and the way things have transpired today.

    This morning South Wales Police hadn't referred themselves to the IOPC, but has since said it has.

    So there will be distrust and there will be anxious voices here again tonight because they will want answers.

    There'll be sympathy for the families and sympathy for the residents here after what has been a very difficult 24 hours.

  9. New footage raises questions about police accountpublished at 18:30 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Tomos Morgan
    Reporting from Cardiff

    There are a lot of questions tonight, especially in this area.

    When we arrived here this morning, there was dismay really from the residents on the street because so much of their property had been damaged by the riots that happened last night.

    And the rumours were rife, rumours that the police had, in some way, been involved in the death of the two boys which happened hours before the riots began here in Cardiff.

    New footage has now come to light and seems to question the version of events given by the police in the run up to the two teenagers' death yesterday.

  10. Call for probe into police handling of eventspublished at 18:22 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Calls have been made by politicians for an impartial investigation into police handling of events in Cardiff.

    Following the emergence of CCTV, which appears to show a police van following two people on an electric bike before the crash, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have urged South Wales Police to publish their timeline of events.

    Cardiff Liberal Democrat leader, Rodney Berman, says there are "serious questions" over the police version of events.

    “This incident needs to face an immediate, impartial investigation," he said.

    Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central Heledd Fychan echoed Mr Berman's sentiments, saying an independent investigation was "essential".

    South Wales Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

  11. Witness describes disorder in Ely after crashpublished at 18:11 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    The BBC has spoken to a man who lives near the crash and scene of the riot in Ely and described what he saw last night.

    Felix, who asked we do not use his full name, said he didn't hear the crash but saw traffic "piling up on the bottom of my road" at some point between 18:30 and 19:00, followed by "shouting and some screaming" a few minutes later.

    He says after going to see what was happening, he saw "numerous police officers and dozens of people gathered round", but at that point he says there was "only slight disorder" - rather than arson or vandalism.

    But Felix also says around an hour or two later he heard "significantly more shouting, and then a few screams".

    Quote Message

    Later on into the night, I began to hear loud bangs and a strong smell of smoke outside, along with even more shouting. A police helicopter started circling above, along with a very large and noisy drone overhead."

  12. At a glance: Latest update from police on Ely riotspublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    We've just heard from South Wales Police about last night's incidents in Ely, where riots broke out after a fatal crash involving two teenagers.

    Here's what we heard:

    • Ch Supt Martyn Stone issued a short statement about the investigation into the crash which killed Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, and sparked subsequent riots
    • He confirmed police had received CCTV footage that shows a police vehicle following a bike
    • Police are examining the footage, but Ch Supt Stone added there were no police vehicles on the road where the incident happened at the time of the crash
    • During the brief statement readout, he confirmed arrests had been made following the riots, in which 11 officers required hospital treatment
    • He did not take questions from the gathered press, but said the force had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) "to ensure the matter receives independent scrutiny"
  13. Mother pleaded with rioters to stop so son could be rushed to hospitalpublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Moving away briefly from reaction to the press conference, let's bring you some more comments from last night - this time from the mother of Kyrees Sullivan.

    Shortly after midnight Belinda Sullivan wrote on Facebook: "My son is still laying on the floor due to this riot. I'm sat at home heart-broken.

    "There are two families broken right now I just want to see my son and I can't because of this riot that has happened.

    "Please I beg you all to stop and let my son be moved to hospital so I can see him we need to see our sons."

  14. Police make mandatory referral to watchdog over crashpublished at 17:28 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    A bit more from South Wales Police's update from a few minutes ago.

    Ch Supt Martyn Stone said there were "no police vehicles on Snowden Road" when the crash happened, adding officers did not believe any other vehicles were involved.

    Later in the brief statement, he said the force had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) "to ensure the matter receives independent scrutiny".

  15. No questions taken about CCTV footage of bikepublished at 17:19 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Ch Supt Stone left abruptly after reading his brief statement.

    He did not take questions about the CCTV footage of the bike being followed by a police van.

  16. Police acknowledge impact of riot on residentspublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Stone says he acknowledges the impact of last night's events on local residents "who were understandably very frightened".

    He adds the police are doing their best to find those responsible, saying: "A number of arrests have already been made, and more will follow."

  17. Fifteen police officers injured in riotspublished at 17:17 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Ch Supt Stone says 15 officers were injured, 11 went to hospital for treatment as a result of the riots.

    Police are appealing for witnesses and footage from social media and phones, he adds.

  18. Police 'looking into footage'published at 17:17 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    We're now hearing a bit more from Ch Supt Martyn Stone, who says that at 18:03 BST yesterday they received the report of a collision.

    He says police are looking into the footage and families are being kept up to date.

    "We've received CCTV footage that shows a police vehicle following a bike, at just prior to 6pm," he says.

    "This footage is being recovered as part of the investigation and will assist us in piecing together the circumstances."

    He adds that when the collision occurred, "there were no police vehicles on Snowden Road".

    Officers performed CPR, he adds, and at this stage Stone does not believe any other vehicles were involved.

    They're also appealing to witnesses to come forward.

  19. South Wales Police giving update after riotspublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 23 May 2023

    Ch Supt Martyn Stone
    Image caption,

    Ch Supt Martyn Stone

    South Wales Police are giving an update now.

    Ch Supt Martyn Stone says police are continuing to investigate the crash and disorder in Ely.

    He says officers received reports of a crash just after 18:00 yesterday and an electric bike was seized from the scene.