Mayhill: Four arrests after Swansea disorder

Concrete barriers have been placed on the road where violence broke out on Thursday

Four people have been arrested in connection with violent disorder in Swansea on Thursday.

Seven police officers were injured and families described being trapped in their homes after violence erupted in Mayhill.

South Wales Police said three men, aged 36, 20 and 18, and a boy, 16, had been arrested on suspicion of unlawful violence and remained in custody.

Det Supt Gareth Morgan urged anyone involved to "hand themselves in".

He urged people in the community to send in photos and videos and to help the force identify those involved in the disorder which broke out on Waun-Wen Road.

"There are many residents who were present at the scene during the disturbance and will know the identity of those that caused damage and threatened violence," he said.

"I urge the public not to protect those who showed such disregard for the community of Mayhill and to give us the names of those individuals who can been seen on social media footage."

The disorder is believed to have begun after a planned balloon release in the memory of Ethan Powell, who collapsed and died suddenly on Wednesday.

Mr Powell's family are said to be deeply upset by the violent scenes when the events were meant to have been a celebration of his life.

The Mayhill street looked "like a war zone", one of the residents said

Det Supt Morgan said investigations were continuing and he expected further arrests to be made in the coming days and weeks, adding that increased patrols would continue in the area over the weekend.

He thanked members of the community who had already handed over footage to the police and given statements.

"We have a dedicated team of detectives who are carrying out extensive enquiries to identify those involved and we are ready to act upon any information received," he said.

He added: "Those that want to hand themselves in can do so at Swansea central police station."

The force's response to the disorder has been criticised by some residents.

But South Wales Police said its response was "immediate and officers trained to deal with public order incidents were deployed to the scene".