The father of a tragic teenager whose sudden death sparked rioting has begged the mob to stop the violence.
Grieving Jonathan Russ, 49, said his son Ethan would never have wanted cars set on fire and houses pelted with bricks in his name. You can see everything we know about the riots here.
Seven police officers were injured in the riots but residents have serious questions about why police were not able to stop the violence sooner. Further vigils are planned for this weekend.
Father-of-two Mr Russ said: “Ethan would have found it disgusting - it’s not something we want to be associated with.
“I don’t know how a peaceful vigil for my son turned into a riot with innocent people caught up in it.
“I want it to stop right now. We have lost one life already, we don’t want someone else to die.”
Football fan Ethan fell ill last Monday night after watching his beloved Swansea City in the Championship play-off match on TV with his grandfather Terry Rogers.
He went home and was found unconscious by his grandmother Sheryl Rogers who he lived with.
Ethan was flown by air ambulance to Morriston Hospital, Swansea, where he died on Wednesday after his life support machine was turned off.
Doctors told his father that he suffered multiple organ failure after a massive cardiac arrest.
Mr Russ said: “He was a cheeky chap, always smiling with lots of friends who will miss him terribly.
“He loved Swansea City and would have been buzzing on Monday after they won the first leg of the play-off match.
“I used to say to him I couldn’t wait to go with him to matches when they are back in the Premiership. That will never happen now.”
Mr Russ and his partner Nicola Rogers, 40, didn’t go to Thursday night’s vigil in Mayhill, Swansea, which turned into a full-scale riot with cars torched and houses pelted with bricks.
The couple were told organisers had planned a simple release of balloons in Ethan’s honour.
Mr Russ said: “We hoped to see a few go past from our window, that would have been good.
“But instead we saw images of rioting on social media - we couldn’t believe what was going on.
“It was stupid behaviour and I am just gutted by it.
“What if a child or an elderly person was in the street when the cars were rolling down at speed?”
Mr Russ appealed to organisers of any planned vigils for his son to cancel them immediately.
He said: “If anyone wants to release a balloon for Ethan they can do it from their own front doorsteps.
“We don’t want any gatherings in his name - it’s not what my boy would have wanted.”
