Watchdog steps up investigation of police response to Cardiff car ...

The police watchdog has stepped up its investigation of two forces’ reaction to appeals for help from family and friends trying to trace five young people who were found in a crashed car up to 46 hours after they went missing.

Gwent and South Wales police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over the tragedy, which left three dead and two in hospital with very serious injuries.

Families and friends of the five believe the police failed to take their concerns seriously and have claimed members of the public rather than officers found the car.

On Monday the IOPC said it would carry out an assessment in “due course” but on Tuesday made it clear it would act more speedily.

A spokesperson said: “In relation to the Cardiff car crash where three people were killed, we are urgently carrying out an assessment of referrals received yesterday from Gwent police and South Wales police.”

The five went missing from Newport in Gwent and the car was found in a thicket shielded from busy roads and housing estates by evergreen trees just across the force border on the outskirts of Cardiff within South Wales police’s patch. Missing person reports were made to both forces.

Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found dead in the car off the A48(M) in St Mellons, Cardiff. Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were discovered badly injured in the wreckage of the VW Tiguan. Russon’s family has said she was conscious for at least some of the time she was trapped and called out for help.

Family and friends continued to visit the spot where the car was found on Tuesday to leave floral tributes, pictures and balloons. One message read: “Darcy Jane Ross. My beautiful daughter. Can’t believe your gone. Going to miss you so much. Lots of love, Dad. xx.”

A vigil is being planned at the spot for Tuesday evening. The five went missing after a Friday night out in Newport and the last confirmed sighting was in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Over the weekend, family and friends organised searches but police did not put out a public appeal until 11pm on Sunday – just over an hour before they were found in the early hours of Monday.

One of the questions families want answered is how officers risk assessed their reports.

In 2021 Gwent police dealt with 2,869 missing persons incidents, according to data obtained from a freedom of information request. Of those, 408 were assessed as high risk, 2,217 as medium, 244 as low. South Wales police said it received on average more than 8,000 missing person reports every year – more than 20 a day.

The desperation of some of those involved in the search was shown by the fact that some turned to a medium for help.

Tamzin Samuels, 20, a carer who took part in the search, said: “We found them before the police found them. We had a psychic medium. She had a feeling it was near bushes and the five were trapped.”

Gwent police have said a police helicopter spotted the car but the force declined to speak about the search in more detail. They said: “The case was referred to the IOPC in line with normal procedures. While they are assessing the case, we are unable to comment.”

Assistant chief constable Jason Davies of South Wales police said: “To ensure independent oversight, South Wales police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual in these circumstances.”