Cardiff riot – latest: Nine arrested after Ely residents clash with police over bike crash

The mother of one of the teens who died in an e-bike crash in Cardiff has alleged that the police “killed” her son.

At a vigil for the boys last night, Belinda Sullivan, mother of Kyrees, told The Daily Telegraph: “The police killed my son. I’ve got nothing else to say.”

The South Wales Police have been under fire since the death of the two teenagers, who were allegedly chased by a police van. The deaths sparked riots in Cardiff on Monday.

A total of nine people have been arrested so far over the riots which followed a road crash which killed two teenage boys in Cardiff, South Wales Police has said.

Three boys – all aged 16 – and a 15-year-old girl were arrested on the night and day after the disorder, and are all on police bail pending further enquiries, the force said.

A further five – aged 16, 17, 18 , 21 and 29 – were detained early on Thursday morning and are being held in custody on suspicion of riot, police said.

A total of nine people have been arrested over the serious disorder in the Ely area of Cardiff on Monday, including five who were detained early this morning, South Wales Police said.

The family of one of two teenagers whose deaths in a road collision sparked rioting over claims they were being pursued by police have pleaded for “peace within the community”.

Harvey Evans, 15, died alongside his best friend Kyrees Sullivan, 16, when the electric bike they were riding crashed in the Ely area of Cardiff on Monday evening.

Video footage on social media appears to show the two boys being followed by a marked police van minutes before the fatal crash.

In a statement released by South Wales Police, Harvey’s family said: “We ask for peace within the community and request that people leave the investigation to the police so we can get the answers we so desperately need to lay Harvey to rest.”

The family of Kyrees said both he and Harvey were “best friends since they were young and went everywhere together”.

Their statement said: “Kyrees was a loving, caring handsome young man, a loving son to Belinda and Craig, little brother to Aleah and Jordan and a special uncle KyKy to Myra.

“He was loved so much by his grandparents and aunties and uncles and his many cousins.

“Him and Harvey along with Niall were best friends since they were young and went everywhere together, they both had so many friends and were very well liked doing many things together, having fun & laughs.

“They were loved by not only their families but by their community as well. Belinda, Craig & families would like to thank everyone for all their kind words, flowers, and messages since they lost their son.”

The families of two teenage best friends killed in a crash in Cardiff that sparked riots have paid tribute, saying their “hearts are truly broken” as they pleaded for “peace within the community”.

Harvey Evans, 15, died alongside Kyrees Sullivan, 16, after the crash in the Ely area on Monday evening.

Video footage on social media appears to show the two boys on an electric bike being followed by a marked police van minutes before the fatal crash that prompted a riot hours later.

Their families have now paid tribute to the boys, saying they were “loved by not only their families but by their community as well”.

Police faced what they called “large scale disorder” after receiving reports of a collision on Snowden Road in Ely around 6pm on Monday, with tensions reaching breaking point as cars were set on fire and fireworks were shot at officers.

Alun Michael told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday morning: “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 obviously that is being investigated in its own right.”

The police watchdog has appealed for the community in Ely, Cardiff, to co-operate with its investigation into police contact with Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, before Monday’s fatal crash.

In a statement given on Wednesday,, Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) director for Wales David Ford said: “This was a tragic incident in which two boys lost their lives. We would like to once again express our sympathies to their families and friends, as well as all those affected by their deaths.

“We are not the police and our investigations are independent of the police. Our role is now to speak to members of the community and gather evidence, including CCTV and witness statements, to understand the circumstances leading up to the collision.

“This incident has had a profound impact on the local community and it is vitally important that the facts are established through a thorough and impartial investigation.

“Our investigative and community engagement work in the local area will continue for some time to come. Further updates will be provided as our investigation progresses.

“Upon conclusion of the investigation we will determine whether there is any indication that anyone serving with the police may have breached the standards of professional behaviour.”

The mother of one of the teenagers whose deaths in a road accident sparked a riot begged the yobs to stop their violence – as her son’s body lay in the street where he died.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and 15-year-old Harvey Evans were killed in the Ely area of Cardiff while riding an electric bike.

Tensions reached breaking point after officers were called to the scene in Snowden Road shortly after 6pm on Monday.

This is the timeline of events given by Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon:

“At 17.59.40 CCTV shows the bike travelling towards the police vehicle in Frank Road, the bike then turns around.

“18.00.52 the bike is then followed by the police vehicle. You can already see on CCTV images that there were no blue lights or sirens in use.

“18.01.18 police vehicle is at New Church Ely roundabout and travels through Archer Road, Stanway Road and Howell Road.

“18.02.31 police vehicle turns onto Grand Avenue.

“18.02.18-18.02.41 this is the approximate time of the road traffic collision that took place on Snowden Road. At the time of the collision, the police vehicle is in Grand Avenue, half a mile away from Snowden Road.”

She said: “This is a complex investigation and we had to be sure of the facts before confirming them. We have been busy obtaining witness accounts, analysing tracking data from police vehicles and studying CCTV, and this is what we know now.”