- By Daniele Palumbo
- BBC Verify
May 23, 2023 at 4:35 p.m. BST
Updated 11 minutes ago
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To see: CCTV appears to show police chasing people minutes before the accident
The BBC has reviewed CCTV footage which appears to show a police van following two people on an electric bicycle, minutes before a fatal accident sparked a riot in Cardiff.
BBC Verify analyzed the video, timestamped at 17:59 BST on Monday on Frank Road in Ely, 900m or just over half a mile from the site of the alleged accident.
This comes after South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael told the BBC there had been no car chase.
In a statement to Cardiff Bay Police Station, Chief Supt Martyn Stone said police had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
South Wales Police have denied the boys were being followed and said their officers arrived at the scene after the crash and stayed there into the early hours of Tuesday to deal with the “widespread disturbance”.
As many as 12 officers were injured in the riots, Mr Michael said.
The police said there had been arrests but did not provide details on the number.
Image source: Getty Images
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In the Cardiff suburb of Ely, a car burns amid riots
South Wales Police were called to the fatal accident on Snowden Road just after 18:00 BST on Monday.
Around 8:00 p.m., police tweeted that they are still at the scene of the accident but are also working to “defuse the ongoing unrest.”
Police said they have received numerous calls from “understandably frightened” residents.
Local resident Ahmad Abdullah, 34, said he heard threats from rioters to “kill” police officers at the scene.
“They said they wouldn’t stop until they killed a cop.”
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Cardiff: Ely rioters throw firecrackers at police
He said: “People in this community don’t feel safe now. We have a feeling it could escalate at any time.”
Young people chased cops up the street and threw rocks and rockets at cars, he said.
Police said their thoughts are with the families of the two boys who died and with the victims of the riots.
A police spokesman said more arrests would follow.
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A car was tipped onto its roof and left burned out at the scene of the accident
Bridy Bool, who knows the Evans family, said Harvey had “tons of friends” and loved motorbikes and football.
“He was best friends with Kyrees and [they] stood on the same things. It wasn’t unusual for them to be together,” she said.
Ms Bool said she believes the pair were being followed by officers “since videos are circulating”.
Council and religious leaders have called for calm during the police investigation.
Social Justice Secretary Jane Hutt told the Senedd on Tuesday afternoon that more arrests could be expected.