LONDON: Ten police officers were injured in “large-scale disorder” in a district of the Welsh capital Cardiff late on Monday after two teenagers died in an accident.

Two cars were set alight and scores of youths, some covering their faces with masks, threw rocks, paving slabs and fireworks at officers with riot shields in the city’s Ely area, according to livestreamed YouTube images.

Officers on horsebacks were also deployed outside the local police station early on Tuesday after suggestions it could be targeted.

The riots followed rumours that the two teenagers had died in a crash while being chased by police.

“My understanding is that there was a road traffic accident involving two teenagers on an off-road bike or scooter. And sadly, they died,” a police official told BBC radio.

“It would appear that there were rumours, and those rumours became rife, of a police chase, which wasn’t the case.”

According to police, the fatal crash “had already occurred when officers arrived”.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2023