- By Daniele Palumbo
- BBC verification
Watch: CCTV appears to show police following people minutes before crash
The BBC has verified CCTV footage appearing to show a police van following two people on an e-bike minutes before a fatal crash that sparked a riot in Cardiff.
BBC Verify analyzed video time stamped at 5.59pm BST on Monday on Frank Road in Ely 900m, or just over half a mile, from the site of the alleged crash.
It comes after South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael told the BBC that a prosecution had not taken place.
In a statement outside Cardiff Bay Police Station, Chief Superintendent Martyn Stone said the force had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
South Wales Police denied the boys were being prosecuted, saying their officers arrived at the scene after the accident, remaining there to deal with a “large-scale mess” until the early hours of Tuesday.
Up to 12 officers were injured in the riots, Mr Michael said.
Police said arrests had been made but did not say how many.
source of images, Getty Images
A car burns in a mess in the Cardiff suburb of Ely
South Wales Police were called to the fatal crash on Snowden Road shortly after 6.00pm BST on Monday.
At around 8:00 p.m., police tweeted that they were still at the scene of the collision but were also working to “defuse the ongoing mess”.
The force said it received a large number of calls from “understandably scared” residents.
Local resident Ahmad Abdullah, 34, said he heard threats from rioters to “kill” police at the scene.
“They said they wouldn’t stop until they killed a policeman.”
Cardiff: Rioters in Ely launch fireworks at police
He said “people in this community don’t feel safe now. We think it could escalate at any time.”
Youths chased police down the road, throwing rocks and missiles at cars, he said.
The force said its thoughts are with the families of the two boys who died as well as those affected by the riots.
More arrests would follow, a police spokesman said.
A car was flipped onto its roof and left to burn at the scene
Bridy Bool, who knows the Evans family, said Harvey had “lots of friends” and loved motorbikes and football.
“He was Kyrees’ best friend and (they) were into the same things. It wasn’t unusual for them to be together,” she said.
Ms Bool said she believed the couple were being chased by officers ‘because there are videos circulating’.
The council and religious leaders have called for calm while the police investigation is carried out.
Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt told the Senedd on Tuesday afternoon that more arrests were expected.