Cardiff riot: Chief defends police boss's Ely claims

South Wales Police's chief constable has defended a colleague's claims that two boys who died in an e-bike crash in Cardiff were not chased by officers.

Following the deaths of Harvey Evans, 15, and Kyrees Sullivan, 16, word spread online that a marked police van had tailed them before the crash.

This sparked riots in Ely that saw 15 officers hurt and 27 people arrested.

Force commissioner Alun Michael was criticised for making the claim after CCTV showed police following the pair.

Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan told a group of Welsh MPs in Westminster that he thought police and crime commissioner Mr Michael was "hoping to help".

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Mr Vaughan confirmed Mr Michael "did receive a briefing" ahead of his initial comments that the youths "were not being chased by the police at the time of the road traffic accident".

Police subsequently admitted they had followed them after several doorbell cameras captured footage of the e-bike and police van.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in a bike crash in Ely, Cardiff

Welsh Affairs Committee chairman Stephen Crabb asked why the commissioner "gave a version of events which may subsequently not look to be true".

Mr Vaughan said: "The police and crime commissioner was hoping to help in dealing with what was a riot and of course had the potential to become an escalation of riots over an extended period."

However, the officers said he was limited in what he could say because of ongoing investigations.

He added: "I'm stuck now with not being able to comment on actual events and what took place in terms of the specifics which might help with that answer, but I can't."

Mr Vaughan said South Wales Police was now "working really hard on recovery in Ely," including putting more resources into the community.

Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan has defended Alun Michael over claims the boys were not chased by officers