Two teenagers who died in an electric bike crash, amid claims they were being followed by a marked police vehicle, died from head injuries, an inquest was told.
The inquest, which began on Thursday, has heard the provisional causes of death of best friends Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans, who died on May 22.
Pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbeatter found in a post-mortem that the provisional causes of death were blunt head injury for Kyrees, 16, and blunt injury to head and trunk for 15-year-old Harvey.
The collision took place in Snowden Road, Ely, Cardiff. Pontypridd Coroner's Court heard that the pair were seen riding on one e-bike and were then found on the road by a member of the public, having come off the bike.
Coroner Patricia Morgan paid her condolences to the boys' families. She said an inquest was required because there was "reason to suspect the deaths were violent or unnatural in nature", reports Wales Online.
She said: "There is a live investigation ongoing in relation to the circumstances. Therefore, today I will open the inquest but will adjourn to allow a full investigation to take place and be completed. I will require regular updates on the progress of that investigation and I will set a date in due course for the final inquest to be listed."
There were hours of violence and vandalism on May 22 after information spread that police in a marked van had been following the pair shortly before the crash.
There were nine arrests of people between the ages of 15 and 21 in connection with the trouble. CCTV footage has confirmed police were following the teenagers - despite South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael having initially claimed the reports were a "rumour".
The Independent Office for Police Conduct will now investigate to see whether the action of officers prior to the fatal crash amounted to a 'pursuit'. However, South Wales Police has said police were not in the immediate vicinity of the crash when it happened.
Balloons, flares and fireworks were released in the boys' memory as 1,000 people gathered in Ely on Friday to pay tribute. Blue and orange flares and balloons were set off to applause, with many in attendance wearing t-shirts with the youngsters' faces on them.
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