A watchdog has started interviewing "key police witnesses" after the fatal crash which led to a riot in Ely, Cardiff. It comes as CCTV footage has emerged showing a police van appearing to follow two boys on an electric bike within a minute of Monday's collision, which claimed the lives of 15-year-old Harvey Evans and 16-year-old Kyrees Sullivan.
It follows the release of a timeline of events leading up to the tragedy, and the subsequent riot that followed, with hundreds gathering and rocks and fireworks being thrown at police, leaving 15 officers needing medical treatment. Cars were set on fire and rolled over and the street was left littered with debris.
Meanwhile, a wall of tributes to the dead boys has appeared, and people have been gathering to pay their respects, as the investigation into what happened that night continues.
An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) spokesman said: "We sent investigators to attend the police post-incident procedures and have obtained the initial accounts from key police witnesses. While South Wales Police will be responsible for the collision investigation, our independent investigation will scrutinise the actions and decision-making of police involved in this incident."
IOPC director for Wales, David Ford, added: “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.”
In a press conference on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon gave the following timeline for the events in Ely which sparked a riot on Monday:
- 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 followed by the police vehicle. Blue lights or sirens were not in use.
- 18:01.18: Police vehicle is at New Ely Church roundabout and travels through Archer Road, Stanway Road and Howell Road.
- 18:02.31: Police vehicle turns onto Grand Avenue.
- 18:02.17 - 18:02.41: Approximate time of the collision in Snowden Road. At the time of the collision, the police van is in Grand Avenue, half a mile away from Snowden Road.
- 18:06.59: The police vehicle is on Cowbridge Road West when it receives information about a road traffic collision, illuminates blue lights and makes its way to the collision scene.
But new CCTV footage appears to show the police vehicle following the bike at 6.02pm in Stanway Road (the time stamp on the video is mistakenly displaying one hour early as it was not adjusted for daylight savings time). During the press conference, a BBC reporter suggested to DCC Bacon that the footage appeared to contradict the police timeline by showing a chase was ongoing just before the collision. He added that the only reason the police vehicle did not continue after this point was due to bollards at the end of the road.
DCC Bacon said she had given the timeline to the best of her knowledge and that there was a lot of CCTV footage to be viewed. She said the force had been transparent, adding: "There was no police vehicle in Snowden Road at the time of the collision and we believe there were no other vehicles involved in the incident." You can read the full transcript of the press conference here.
The original CCTV which appeared to show a police van following two people on a bike in Frank Road was time stamped at 5.59pm, and another video appearing to show a chase was time-stamped to 5.56pm. South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael had said officers were not chasing the two teenagers when they were killed in the bike crash.
The families of the two teenagers who died have released tributes saying the pair were best friends. Harvey's mum said "he lived life to the full, he had a big heart and deep down he truly cared", while Kyrees's family described him as "a loving, caring handsome young man".
Harvey's family said: "Our hearts are truly broken by the sudden death of Harvey, our much-loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, friend, and boyfriend. He lived life to the full, he had a big heart and deep down he truly cared. He was a best friend to Kyrees, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family also.
“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. As Harvey’s mum I want to remember our son as the fun and loving son that he was and not as the media are portraying him now”.
The tribute from Kyrees's family stated: "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.”
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