RECRIMINATIONS began today after rioting and clashes with police followed the deaths of two teenage boys who died in a road crash in the Ely area of Cardiff on Monday night

The two young men were named as 16-year-old Kyrees Sullivan and 15-year-old Harvey Evans from Ely.

Friends of the two boys said they had been riding an electric bike and their families were desperate for further information from the police about what happened.

South Wales police & crime commissioner Alun Michael said the violence followed rumours that the two youths were being chased by officers.

Mr Michael and the police force denied there had been a pursuit, but some locals said on social media that officers arrived at the crash scene too quickly.

An emergency debate took place in the Senedd this afternoon after Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies tabled an emergency motion.

Social Justice Minister Jane Hutt said: “It’s a strong community in Ely, and we must remember this as we follow up and hear what the circumstances were surrounding this tragic series of events.”

Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan wanted to know what discussions had taken place to provide reassurance to the community.

Harmony Party UK general secretary John Urquhart, who lives in Ely, claimed a lack of communication from police to the community may have led to the escalation.

“The key thing right at the start was: 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,” Mr Urquhart said.

Adam Johannes, from Cardiff People’s Assembly, pointed to Ely being one of the poorest communities in Wales.

“Thirty years after the last riot in the area, it still remains consistently one of the poorest and most disenfranchised communities in Wales,” he said.

“Someone spoke about the events leading up to the disorder and asked: ‘Why do the police need to bring a dozen riot vans, drones, dogs and a helicopter to the incident?’”

The police confirmed that arrests had been made after several vehicles were set alight, property damaged and officers injured.