12 HELD OVER CITY STREET VIOLENCE
POLICE INVOKE SPECIAL POWERS AS THREE MEN HOSPITALISED AND WEAPONS SEIZED
POLICE have arrested 12 people and seized a number of weapons after a “violent incident” in Cardiff which has left one man with potentially lifechanging injuries.
Three people have been taken to hospital after officers were called to reports of an assault in Wentloog Avenue shortly after 4pm on Sunday.
Yesterday, South Wales Police confirmed that 12 men have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, assault and possession of offensive weapons following a disturbance.
It is understood that those involved are known to one another.
Of the three men in hospital, a 27-year-old man has potentially lifechanging injuries while the two other men, aged 25 and 55, have serious injuries.
A heavy police presence remained in the area yesterday, with armed officers, a police helicopter and ambulance crews all pictured at the scene.
A number of weapons have been recovered and a forensic examination of the area is under way.
And police “Section 60” powers remained in force today after officers last night extended the emergency powers. The notice authorises police officers to stop and search any pedestrian – or anything carried by them – for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments without good reason, or to stop and search any vehicle, its driver and any passenger, for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments.
Police said a Section 60 order is aimed at “preventing serious violence, to find dangerous instruments or to apprehend persons carrying weapons”.
The Welsh Ambulance Service yesterday confirmed that people were taken to hospital after Sunday’s incident.
A spokesman said: “We were called to the Wentloog Road area of Cardiff on Sunday, March 21, at 4.08pm to reports of injured persons following a violent incident.
“We sent a rapid-response vehicle, two emergency ambulances, our Hazardous Area Response Team and our Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service.”
There remained a very heavy police presence at the scene throughout yesterday, with at least 50 police officers present.
Armed police were pictured arriving at the scene, and a police helicopter flew overhead. A police dog unit was also seen.
Several emergency service vehicles were present and a wider police cordon was put in place.
Some people who live at the travellers’ site in Wentloog Avenue said yesterday they were not being allowed back into the site.
The Section 60 covers the site and the surrounding area.
There remained police activity within the cordon, and in the Wentloog Corporate Park business park, which was within the affected area.
A large section of the road also remained closed yesterday, with the public asked to avoid the area and use alternative routes.
Traffic monitors said Wentloog Avenue was shut in both directions due to a police incident from Wentloog Corporate Park to Green Lane.
They added: “Road is likely to remain closed throughout the day.”
It is the third time in four days that a Section 60 notice has been implemented in this area to give police stronger powers to stop and search anyone amid concern of “incidents of serious violence” which might take place.
The first order was in place from last Wednesday evening to Thursday morning in the Wentloog Avenue area, and the second was in place overnight on Sunday. The latest order runs until 5pm today.
Anyone with any information about Sunday’s incident is asked to contact police quoting reference number 098726. Officers can be contacted via email on PublicServiceCentre@southwales.police.uk, by phone on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.