False rumours on social media blaming police for the deaths of two teenagers in a crash in Cardiff triggered riots that led to at least 12 police officers being injured, a policing chief has said.
Alun Michael, the South Wales police and crime commissioner (PCC), told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there was a road traffic collision involving two teenagers on an off-road bike or scooter and that both had died.
The two boys killed in the crash were named locally as Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15.
Police officers faced hours of “large-scale disorder” at the scene near Snowden Road in Ely on Monday with rioters throwing missiles including fireworks at them. Cars were set on fire as trouble flared through the night, involving scores of masked youths.
A minister in the Welsh government said arrests had been made in connection to the disorder and more were likely.
Michael, whose role as PCC involves holding the police to account, said it appeared that incorrect rumours on social media that a police pursuit had led to the crash that killed the teenagers were behind the subsequent disorder.
He said: “My understanding is that there was a road traffic accident involving two teenagers on an off-road bike or scooter and sadly they died. That’s an incident that’s being investigated in its own right.
“That appeared to spark for reasons that are not clear the disorder in which something like a dozen officers were injured and the connection between the two is far from clear so obviously there’s going to be an investigation to establish what happened.
“It appears there were rumours – and those rumours became rife – of a police chase which wasn’t the case. I think it illustrates the speed which rumours can go round with the activity that goes on social media these days and how things can get out of hand.”
Michael said that while officers were injured, none of the injuries were life-threatening. He described Ely as an area that had “a lot of deprivation but it’s also a very warm community”.
South Wales police later confirmed the two teenage boys had died. A spokesperson said: “Shortly after 6pm yesterday we received a report of a serious road traffic collision on Snowden Road which resulted in the deaths of two teenage boys.
“Police responded to this collision which had already occurred when officers arrived, and they remained on scene to manage a large-scale disorder until the early hours of this morning. Specially trained public order officers were also deployed, including officers from neighbouring police forces.
“Several vehicles were set alight, property was damaged and police officers were injured during the incident.”
Assistant chief constable Mark Travis said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with families of the two boys who have died following the collision in Ely and with those affected by the disorder which followed.
“These are scenes we do not expect to see in our communities, particularly a close-knit community such as Ely. We received a large number of calls from residents who were understandably frightened by the actions of this large group who were intent on causing crime and disorder.
“Arrests have been made in connection with the disorder and more will follow. We shall be maintaining an enhanced police presence throughout the week and into the weekend.”
Shortly before 3am, rioters moved down Highmead Road in Ely, followed by police who were trying to disperse them. Police, including officers on horseback, were seen outside Ely police station in the early hours of Tuesday after suggestions it could be targeted.
Scenes being livestreamed on YouTube showed young people throwing fireworks and other missiles at a line of police officers with riot shields who were blocking one end of the street. A fire was burning and a helicopter could be heard hovering overhead. Shortly before midnight a car was set on fire, while a second vehicle was overturned and set ablaze.
One person was attacked due to rioters believing they were an undercover officer, according to one of the senior officers at the scene.
The public were warned the road was closed between Wilson Road and Jackson Road and urged to avoid the area.
Bridy Bool, a close friend of the family of one of the boys who was killed, said they still had little information about what happened to the teenagers. “They don’t know what happened,” she said. “They’re in pieces.”
She said he and the other boy were best friends. “They loved football and motorbikes. They did everything together,” she said.
Bool said the pair had been on a Sur-Ron electric motorcycle together and had not been wearing helmets. She claimed the families had been upset because the boys’ bodies were left on the road for several hours while the riot took place.
“He [one of the boys] had just had his hair cut and his tea. He had left his mum’s house 10 minutes before.”
Some neighbours claimed those involved in the disturbance were inspired by the Ely bread riots of 1991.
One resident, Jacqui Davies, 59, said: “This brings it all back. It was terrible but a lot of the yobs here think it was great. It was just an excuse to get out and cause trouble. It wasn’t so much to do with bread as an excuse to have a go at the police. But we still remember the trouble and the fear it caused.”
Speaking in the Senedd about the incident in Ely, Jane Hutt, the minister for social justice in Wales, said: “I do understand that South Wales police have made arrests in connection with the disorder, and that more will follow.”
