Ely: Vigil takes place for teens who died in Cardiff crash

A vigil has taken place in memory of two teenagers who were killed in an e-bike crash in Cardiff.

The deaths of Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, sparked a riot in the city's Ely suburb but the circumstances behind the accident remain unclear.

At least 800 people gathered in Snowden Road - the scene of the crash - by early evening on Friday.

Blue balloons were brought as requested by the family.

The family asked for police not to be present.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in a bike crash on Monday

Blue and orange flares were set off and hundreds of balloons were released into the sky.

A minute's silence was followed by applause and fireworks were also let off.

Blue flares were set off into the sky at the vigil

A mostly young crowd of people, many wearing blue and white clothing, began to arrive at 17:45 BST on Friday.

By 19:00 the large crowd started to leave the area.

Following the vigil, Harvey Evans's great-uncle, John O'Driscoll, said he accepted Monday's riot was wrong but said it was borne of frustration.

Mr O'Driscoll said: "They were just young boys. Everyone rides bikes and scooters around here.

"Yes, we find them annoying, but that's just what they do.

"But as soon as those coppers saw they had no helmets they should've stopped."

At least 800 people gathered to pay tribute to the boys

A male member of Harvey's family, who did not want to be named, said: "We're all tarred with the same brush here, especially given what happened on Monday.

"But this is the true Ely. Look how many people have turned out to pay their respects.

"The only difference between Monday and today is that the police aren't here."

Earlier in the day, First Minister Mark Drakeford held a meeting with community representatives in Ely at lunchtime on Friday.

The Welsh government said the meeting would discuss support for the community.

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Mr Drakeford, alongside Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt, chaired the meeting between politicians, agencies, and community groups.

A banner, balloons and flowers were attached to a fence in their memory

Fifteen officers were injured during the unrest which has led to nine arrests.

It saw up to 150 people gather. Rioters threw fireworks at police and set cars alight.

The aftermath was described as a "warzone" by a BBC reporter at the scene.

Their deaths sparked a riot in the Ely suburb of Cardiff

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had already carried out "extensive" house-to-house inquiries in Ely.

The IOPC also said its investigation would be impartial and independent of the South Wales Police force.

Reports on social media suggested the police were chasing the pair, who were riding together on an electric bike shortly before the collision.

CCTV footage later released showed a police van following the boys minutes before they died on Snowden Road at 18:00 BST.

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon said she wanted to be "transparent and open"

On Wednesday, South Wales Police confirmed its officers had been following the teenagers prior to their deaths, but refused to answer further questions about it, citing an ongoing IOPC investigation.

CCTV is being gathered and the investigating officers are reviewing initial accounts from the police officers involved.