Ely remembers two teenage boys one year on from their deaths

The Cardiff community of Ely has come together to remember best friends Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans one year on from their deaths.

Kyrees, 16, and Harvey, 15, were riding an electric bike when they fatally crashed on Snowden Road shortly after 6pm on May 22, 2023.

CCTV footage later circulated showing police were following the boys in a marked police van just minutes before the crash, prompting unrest in the area into the early hours of the following day.

Loved ones of the two best friends and members of the community gathered on the evening of May 22 at the scene to remember the young boys.

Police involvement in the incident has been subject to two watchdog investigations.

Last week, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said its investigation into the interaction between South Wales Police and the two teens before their deaths was in its final stages.

South Wales Police referred itself to the watchdog over the police van being seen on CCTV travelling close behind the bike prior to the fatal incident.

The IOPC said all lines of enquiry in its investigation were nearly complete.

A second investigation has centred around complaints raised by the families of the boys, with complaints centring around the police response and management of the collision scene, how the families were dealt with at the scene and the way in which South Wales

Police communicated with them following the boys’ deaths. The IOPC say this probe is nearing completion.

A month after the incident, the IOPC served gross misconduct notices on the driver and passenger of the police van. In August last year, it also notified the driver of the van that they were under criminal investigation for alleged dangerous driving. It said these notices do not necessarily mean that any disciplinary or criminal proceedings will follow.

IOPC director David Ford said: “As we approach the one-year anniversary of the tragic events which took place on the evening of 22 May, I understand that this will be an especially difficult time for the families of Kyrees and Harvey. Our thoughts and sympathies continue to be with everyone who has been affected by the loss of such young lives.

“I appreciate the patience shown by the families, stakeholders and the wider community of Ely over the last 12 months as the investigations to establish exactly what happened have progressed. Our investigations are nearing completion and whilst I fully recognise the importance of finalising our investigations, thoroughness cannot be compromised.

“Our regular updates to the boys’ families and South Wales Police continue as we near the end of both investigations. Following their conclusion, we will take decisions about any potential referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider possible criminal proceedings, as well as potential future disciplinary matters. We will also take into account any improvements and learning that may have been identified during our investigations, whether that’s for individual officers, or South Wales Police on a force-wide basis."