‘Unstoppable’ rioters were captured setting vehicles alight and attacking residents who were urged to leave the area during a night of unrest in South Wales.
A vigil for a local man erupted into ‘disturbing’ scenes of violence on the streets of Swansea’s Mayhill area on Thursday night.
Terrified families were told to stay indoors or leave the area if they could while police tried to calm things down.
In one video shared on social media, at least a dozen are seen blocking a road and hurling items at a police riot van before forcing it to reverse and retreat.
Another clip shows a black car rolling backwards at speed with all four doors open down a steep residential road.
It whizzes past a red vehicle engulfed in a fire ball before smashing into a parked vehicle behind it, prompting an eruption of cheers and whistles by the gang watching.
Father-of-two Adam Romain was shocked to come home from work and find the scenes of violence right outside his home.
The delivery driver said the gang started hurling bricks at him and set his car alight, as his girlfriend and children, aged four and 16-months, watched terrified inside their home.
Adam said: ‘When I arrived home there was one police van and a patrol car at the bottom of the hill but that’s all the police that were there.’
But he said that when officers were confronted by the rioters they fled the scene before later returning with back-up.
Adam said: ‘I am not an expert in rioting but I think that when the police left the scene it gave this mob a feeling of invincibility that made them feel unstoppable.
‘They started lobbing bricks at me, they started lobbing bricks at my house, with my babies in the house.
‘They were throwing these bricks through the front door straight at me – they had no fear whatsoever.’
South Wales Police said the incident was brought under control at around 1am but urged local residents against returning to the area and to remain indoors throughout the night.
Superintendent Tim Morgan said that what was believed to have started as a vigil for a local resident who recently died had escalated into ‘violence, criminal damage and a wanton disregard for public safety’.
He added: ‘Last night’s incident was totally unacceptable and we will be doing all we can to identify those responsible.
‘I want to reassure the community of Mayhill that those involved can expect to face robust action. Post incident investigations have already started to identify all those concerned.’
First Minister Mark Drakeford tweeted: ‘The violent scenes in Swansea last night were completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated anywhere in Wales.’
Welsh Parliament member Tom Giffard called the scenes ‘disturbing’, while Welsh secretary and Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart said: ‘A tough night for the police dealing with such reckless behaviour.
‘No excuses, police right to robustly respond.’
Police warned in the early hours that if anyone returns and threatens public safety again that they would be ‘robustly dealt with’.
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