A heartbroken mum pleaded with rioters to stop as her teenage son and his friend lay dying after a scooter crash - as mass violence broke out in Cardiff last night.
Kyrees Jordan Sullivan and Harvey Evans both died in the crash, of which the circumstances have not yet been made clear.
Missiles were hurled at police amid mayhem which saw cars and wheelie bins being torched and up to 12 officers injured, according to reports.
At one point the crowd had swelled to around 150 people with many covering their faces with scarves and masks and engaging in an ongoing battle with riot officers.
It is thought misinformation was spread suggesting a police chase had led to the deaths, according to Alun Michael, the Police and Crime Commissioner in South Wales.
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A number of arrests have been made in relation to the rioting.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which oversees police complaints system in England and Wales, say they have had no referral in relation to the incident.
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Gardening firm owner Daniel Pato has offered his services to help with the clean up after the riot.
The owner of Greensleaves ground maintenance says: "If anybody needs help or is struggling to clear the mess created by last night's antics, I would be happy to help, free of charge.
"I have blowers, rubble sacks, shovels etc."
A tribute has been paid to 15-year-old Harvey Evans - one of the two teenage boys killed.
Bridy Bool, a friend of Harvey's family, said: “Harvey had just eaten his tea and had left his mum’s.
"He had been at home all day with his mum, and he went with his friend, and this happened.”
Paying tribute to the teenager, she said: “Harvey was such a young boy, a sociable boy, he had loads of friends and he loved motorbikes and football.
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“He was best friends with Kyrees and were into the same things. It was not unusual for them to be together.”
She went on to say the families of the boys were desperate for further information from the police about what happened.
“The police are not telling her where her boy is – she has been waiting all night and morning,” she said.
“They are not telling them – they are waiting for the family liaison officer. It was 2.40am when her boy’s body got moved from there. I’ve just left her house now.
“There’s no support. They are on the phone but there is no support on the ground – all this is going on and they are nowhere.”
Ms Bool claimed the fatal crash occurred because “they were being chased by the police”.
“I know they were being chased by the police as there are videos going around that the police were chasing them,” she said.
“They didn’t have helmets on and there was no reason for them to be chased."
Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central, Heledd Fychan, said: "My thoughts go out to the families of both teenagers that tragically lost their lives last night, and my thoughts are with the whole community as they rebuild.
"There must now be a full investigation to understand how this tragic incident led to the violence that followed to ensure peace is restored and that this never happens again."
My thoughts go out to the families of both teenagers that tragically lost their lives last night in Ely.
— Heledd Fychan AS/ MS(@Heledd_Plaid) May 23, 2023
There must now be a full investigation to understand how this tragic incident led to the violence that followed to ensure peace is restored.
Kyrees Sullivan, 15, and Harvey Evans, 16 (Facebook)The mum of a teenage boy who was killed after a road crash begged rioters to stop as her son lay dying in the street.
Tensions reached breaking point as several vehicles were set alight, property was damaged and police officers were injured following the collision in Ely shortly after 6pm yesterday.
Kyrees Jordan Sullivan and Harvey Evans both died in the crash, of which the circumstances have not yet been made clear.
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Kyrees Jordan Sullivan died in a traffic collision (Facebook)Downing Street said the scenes in Cardiff were "appalling and completely unacceptable".
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "The reports of disorder, violence, arson and specifically attacks on police officers are appalling and unacceptable.
"We remain grateful to the emergency services and first responders for all their support to the community and restoring order."
The riot in Cardiff lasted for several hours into Tuesday morning (WALES NEWS SERVICE)A mum went through backstreets before jumping over fences to get home after being stopped by police.
The Ely resident said she had been visiting her daughter and hospital and wanted to get home to her other children amid the riots.
She claims officers said she went by the cordon she would be arrested, with the unrest happening around her house.
"I got stopped outside Wilson Road and asked the police to bring me home but obviously it was happening outside the house so they wouldn’t let me through," the woman explained.
"They said if I had run through I would have got arrested so I had to go through the back streets to get to my garden so I just had to jump over fences.
"My kids were absolutely hysterical. I was saying ‘just walk me to that end I’ll do my own safety’ but no.
"It was literally outside the house so I was taking a chance but if your kids are inside screaming you are going to take that chance. I had to get home.
"They were sending me the videos and that I could see when I was in the hospital. The silver car that got flipped over was my son in law's because you couldn’t drive down here or move your cars.
"I’ve lived here for around 26 years. There was the other Ely riots but this is another level," she added.
Local resident Ahmad Abdulkah has claimed that rioters came from as faraway as Bristol to join the disruption.
He said he was worried there were not enough police at the scene in Ely, allegeding back up did not seem to arrive for several hours.
He explained: "Things had got worse and were escalating by around 9.30pm.
"I heard screaming and shouting and massive noise. I came out to see what was going on. I saw groups of youngsters who were chasing police, and police were chasing them too.
"People got angry and people came from all over. There were some there from Bristol, from the Valleys. It was a terrible situation. The worst I have ever seen.
"They were so angry and throwing everything. We didn't have enough police officers. We should have had more. Around 15 to 20 police officers were not enough. It was not until 11.30pm that back-up seemed to arrive.
"They were throwing bricks, everything. It was very scary. It was shocking for my children and my family and the neighbours. We have never seen a situation like this before. It was terrible and terrifying.
"I have been living here for five years and it is a very welcoming community and very nice place to live but this was scary."
A police car with a smashed windsrceen (PA)The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which oversees police complaints system in England and Wales, say they have had no referral in relation to the incident in Ely last night.
One reisdent, whose car was targeted said: "I could see they were doing something underneath my car. I have lived here for 15 years and it is the first thing we have seen anything like this.
"About midnight they turned a car over after they hit it with baseball bats and then they petrol bombed it. One resident is a cleaner and she can't get to work because they torched her car.."
A burnt out car in Ely (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Jane Palmer, owner of a burnt out Ford Focus on Highmead Road, said she and her family had watched from their window as rioters set fire to her car.
Ms Palmer said: "I'm disabled, so now I'm trapped without my car.
"Why are they doing this? It's just silly now."
The family had tried to stop the fire using water from their garden hose.
At least two cars were set alight amid the chaos in Cardiff (Getty Images)Unconfirmed reports suggest that the rioting was so intense it proved difficult for emergency service personnel to access the two victims and take them to hospital.
A line of police with riot shields (Getty Images)Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said there is "no excuse" for the disorder.
"It is deeply concerning to read the news this morning about the riots in Cardiff last night," he said.
"There is simply no excuse for this kind of disorder in our communities and it is unacceptable that people have been made to feel unsafe in their own homes.
"My deepest condolences go out to the families of the two boys who lost their lives last night. My thoughts are also with the injured police officers, and I wish them a speedy recovery.
"I have submitted an emergency question in the Senedd today, to seek answers from the Welsh Government on what discussions they are having with South Wales Police regarding this concerning situation."
Some residents believe the riots were a 'copycat' of four nights of violence that occurred 30 years ago.
Neighbours believe trouble-makers want to recreate the so-called "bread riots" which broke out on the streets of the Ely housing estate in the Welsh capital - and are brought out by the warm weather.
Petrol bombs and stones were launched at police in a row over neighbouring shopkeepers in Wilson Road over the right to sell bread, with locals accusing one of wanting to ramp up prices in 1991.
Veteran resident Jacqui Davies, 59, said: "This brings it all back. It was terrible but a lot of the yobs here think it was great - we call them the Ely riots and it is still talked about around here.
"It was just an excuse to get out and cause trouble. It wasn't so much to do with the price of bread as an excuse to have a go at the police. But we still remember the trouble and the fear it caused.
"This time two young boys have died. There should be more respect for their families and not cause this trouble in their names."
At the height of the troubles, a crowd of 500 people confronted 175 police officers in riot gear in Wilson Road.
That is just a few hundred yards from the Snowden Road scene of Monday night's violence.
Riot officers on Howell Road in Cardiff during the riots (PA)Cardiff Council's leader called for calm and said it is "really important" a full investigation into the crash can take place immediately.
Councillor Huw Thomas said: "My thoughts and deepest sympathies this morning are with the families of the young people who died in the road collision yesterday. This is a tragic event and they, and we, need to understand what happened and why.
"The best way we can achieve this is by letting the investigation begin as soon as possible. Any further trouble will only delay that investigation.
"I know the majority of people in Ely are deeply worried and concerned about the scenes last night.
"It's really important that a full investigation into what happened, and into how the road collision occurred, can take place immediately.
"For that to happen we need calm. Any continuation of last night's trouble will only hamper any investigation.
"It's important we all come together, and work together now, to find out exactly what happened. I urge everyone to do all they can to calm the situation."
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.
"The level of violence towards emergency services and the damage to property and vehicles was totally unacceptable.
"Our focus now is to fully investigate the circumstances of the collision and the appalling scenes that followed.
"Arrests have already 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.
"We would like to thank the public for their support and appeal to anyone with information or video footage to come forward and provide that to us."
Council workers are out in force to collect the rubbish and debris (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Workers begin clean up operation following riots (Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Riot officers geared up last night during the violence (PA)
A member of the public was attacked due to rioters thinking they were an undercover officer, according to one of the senior officers at the scene.
South Wales Police assistant chief constable Mark Travis has condemned violent scenes in Cardiff on Monday after two teenage boys died in a crash in
Ely, saying: “The level of violence towards emergency services and the damage to property and vehicles was totally unacceptable.”
Cars were torched in fiery scenes of violence (Getty Images)
South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said it was lucky police officers did not sustain more serious injuries during the rioting.
"People will be brought to account for the violence. Obviously very frightening for local people. And there were a lot of calls to the police expressing concern about what was going on," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Asked about objects and missiles being thrown at police, he said: "My understanding is that those things were thrown at the police and about a dozen officers were injured.
"None of them life-threatening, fortunately, but of course, there's a lot a lot of luck involved in that.
"Officers were mobilised to the area and there was support from neighbouring forces."
A car was tipped over and burnt out (WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Two teenagers were killed in a crash before mass violence broke out in Cardiff last night, with a police chief warning about the power of rumours.
Riot officers battled with swelling crowds of rioters into the early hours of Tuesday morning, with cars torched and objects hurled at officers.
It is thought misinformation was spread suggesting a police chase had led to the deaths.
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At least two cars were set alight amid the chaos in Cardiff (Getty Images)
