More than 100 yobs set fire to cars and hurled missiles at police as riots erupted on the streets of Cardiff after two teenagers died in a suspected e-scooter crash last night.
The mob squared off against South Wales Police, with footage livestreamed on YouTube showing them throwing fireworks, paving slabs and even a door before charging at officers with riot shields.
Two cars were set ablaze and a passer-by was allegedly attacked by rioters mistaking them for an undercover cop.
Jane Palmer, the owner of a burnt out Ford Focus on Highmead Road, said she and her family watched from their window as rioters set fire to her car. She said: ‘I’m disabled so now I’m trapped without my car. Why are they doing this? It’s just silly now.’
The chaos broke out after officers were called out to reports of a serious collision on Snowden Road at around 6pm.
Alun Michael, the Police and Crime Commissioner in South Wales, said ‘that appears to have sparked, for reasons that aren’t clear, the disorder’, adding ‘something like a dozen officers were injured’.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It would appear that there were rumours, and those rumours became rife, of a police chase, which wasn’t the case and I think it illustrates the speed with which rumours can run around with the activity that goes on social media nowadays, and that events can get out of hand.’
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.’
Downing Street said the scenes 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.’
John Urquhart, the general secretary of the UK Harmony Party, lives in Ely and witnessed the incident escalate from the start of the evening.
He said a lack of communication from police to the community may have led to the escalation of the event.
Mr Urquhart said: ‘The key thing right at the start was they did not communicate with the crowd, there was no attempt to communicate with the crowd and they showed nothing but disdain for the community and acted like we didn’t deserve to know what happened on our own doorstep.
‘There was nobody going through the crowd crucially, I think the police really needed people to be out talking to the community and putting their minds at ease.’
Mr Urquhart, who has lived in the area for the last few years, said the situation started to escalate at around 8pm.
He said the community in Ely is tight-knit, adding: ‘When you start to see it in context, it’s emotions that have built up and bottled up and eventually, I think the police just brought too many people or were too visible.’
At 8.21pm, South Wales Police tweeted: ‘There is now a large number of officers working to manage the collision, but also to de-escalate ongoing disorder at the scene.
‘We urge anyone involved to leave the scene immediately and ask local residents to stay away while the matter is brought to a safe conclusion.’
In an update at 1.10am, police said they were continuing to monitor and respond to ‘disorder in Ely’, adding: ‘A number of vehicles have been set alight. Arrests are being made. A large police presence remains in the area.’
A man called Connor, who also lives in Highmead Road, said: ‘It’s been a mad night.
‘This is not the norm around here but people are pretty anti-police and that’s reflected on both sides, not that that’s my opinion.
‘Although we’ve been afflicted by this riot, I still understand it. When people have enough, this is what happens.’
Rubbish and wheelie bins were set alight as well as cars by rioters as they continued to be moved through the streets by armoured police.
Rioters gradually moved down Highmead Road in Ely, Cardiff, followed by police who were trying to disperse them.
They continued to throw missiles and set cars alight.
Another resident of Highmead Road, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Enough is enough now. This has gone beyond.
‘When people are making fun of what’s happening on social media it’s crossed a line.
‘This is our neighbourhood and those doing this are just kids. It needs to stop.’
