English FA announced on Thursday that Jack Simpson, a 26-year-old former Cardiff City defender, has been suspended for six matches and fined after he admitted to using racist language towards a teammate.
The incident occurred during Cardiff’s pre-season tour in Portugal. Simpson, who previously played for Rangers, departed from Cardiff in August and has been a free agent since then.
Simpson was fined 8,000 pounds and will undergo “face-to-face education,” the FA said in a statement.
Even though she has never been to Wales, an English woman claims she woke up with a Welsh accent.
Zoe Coles, 36, experienced the new twang over the course of six weeks, but she assumed it would ultimately go away.
But it hasn’t vanished yet.
Even though the mother of two lives in Stamford, Lincolnshire, she is frequently asked if she is from Cardiff.
Zoe has also claimed that, up until now, she has never been able to roll her Rs or speak with a Welsh accent.
She has said she now gets ‘anxious’ when leaving the house as she feels like she ‘doesn’t fit in anymore’ because of her new voice.
She is now appealing for medical help to try and ‘cure’ her baffling conditiont.
Zoe said: ‘I’ll be about to go into the shops and I get anxious because I don’t fit in around here anymore – we’re not in Wales.
‘I got stopped in Tesco a couple of weeks ago and a man told me he could fall asleep listening to my accent.
Zoe Coles has faced issues at work over her unwanted accent (Picture: Zoe Coles/SWNS)
‘I had to tell him that I woke up with it and it wasn’t my accent and he laughed it off.’
Before her voice, changed, Zoe worked as a bartender at a Wetherspoons pub but because of her accent, she’s had to quit her job.
Zoe, who is mum to Zak, 16, and Brooke, 11, said: ‘I didn’t want to go in with my new accent because the regulars would be saying I’m having them on.
‘And when people would get drunk, I knew I would be a target.
‘I tried to drive to work one day and I just had a massive anxiety attack and I just couldn’t go in.
‘I thought it was best to leave and then I can always go back when I’m ready.’
Zoe was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition where there is a problem with how the brain sends and receives signals in January 2022.
Because of this, Zoe often has ticks, memory problems, slurred speech and chronic pain in her legs.
But now she thinks she has Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) – a rare condition where people develop speech patterns that are perceived as a foreign accent.
Less than 107 people in the world are believed to have had FAS since 1907 and Zoe has been struggling to find any information on the condition.
Zoe went to the doctors about her new accent and was referred to a specialist at the St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London.
But because she doesn’t live in the catchment area, her referral has been declined and she’s not been given any help by the NHS.
Now she is appealing for an expert or neurologist to come forward and help her find an answer, as she feels like ‘nobody is concerned’ about what has happened.
Zoe said: ‘Why is nobody concerned that I’ve woken up with a Welsh accent?
‘Surely someone should be concerned – this is not normal.
‘A lot of people think it could me a mental health problem but because nobody knows anything about it, people are just guessing.
‘I want a definite answer – I can’t be the only person that would come forward for testing.’
Zoe has said that now she’s been speaking with a Welsh accent for six weeks, she’s picked up certain Welsh phrases such as putting ‘so it is’ after every sentence.
People are shocked when they find out what has happened to her voice, and often ask her to do an impression of Nessa Jenkins from the TV show Gavin and Stacey.
But Zoe has also said that now she’s ‘nicer to be around’ and ‘jolly’ because of her new voice.
She said that when she first woke up and her accent had changed, it actually sounded German.
Zoe said: ‘I don’t know it was a German accent but it sorta sounded like that at first.
‘I thought “God help me”, I knew I didn’t want to be stuck with that accent.
‘Then overnight, I got a really strong Welsh accent and it’s stuck since.’
A St George’s spokesperson said: ‘Our specialist neurology team has replied to Ms Coles’ referring doctor and we await their response on the future of her care.’
Following the deaths of two boys in Cardiff, gross misconduct notices were issued to two police officers.
On May 22, an accident on Snowden Road in Ely resulted in the deaths of Harvey Evans, 15, and Kyrees Sullivan, 16.
CCTV footage from the time leading up to the event showed a police van pursuing the victims, who were riding an electric bike.
Following reports that they were being chased, the scene descended into violence. Officers were targeted by pyrotechnics and other projectiles, resulting in 15 injuries.
People attend a vigil for the victims (Picture: PA)
As a result, South Wales Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
In their latest update on the case today, the watchdog confirmed the officers in the vehicle have been served gross misconduct notices.
IOPC said the serving of the notices did not mean disciplinary proceedings would then follow.
It had previously said it was looking at the nature of the interaction with the two boys prior to the crash and the appropriateness of the police officers’ decisions and actions, whether at any time the decisions and actions of the officers in the police vehicle constituted a pursuit and whether the interaction between the police officers and the boys was reported appropriately by the officers prior to and following the collision.
IOPC director David Ford: ‘I wish to again extend my sympathies to the family and friends of Kyrees and Harvey, and to everyone who has felt the impactful loss of two young lives in Ely.
‘The response from the community in helping our investigators has been very positive and I am extremely grateful for this assistance.
‘In case there are still people with relevant information we have yet to speak to, we have placed witness appeal boards in the vicinity of the incident.
‘We would urge anyone who believes they have useful information to come forward to us.
‘We have also met with local community leaders and elected officials to explain our role and the remit of our investigation.
‘As our investigation continues to progress, I would like to reassure everyone that we are focused on establishing precisely what happened in the run-up to the tragic incident.
‘Our work will remain impartial and completely independent of the police.’
Investigators are still reviewing hundreds of video clips and have also reviewed initial accounts and body-worn video from police officers and staff.
As part of the probe into the aftermath, 20 people have so far been arrested in connection with the riot.
South Wales Police said 17 males and three females, aged between 14 and 36, had been arrested on suspicion of riot.
All have since been released on police bail while the investigation continues, the force said.
In connection with the widespread riots that erupted in Cardifffollowing the deaths of two adolescents in an e-bike accident, nine persons have been detained.
After Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in an Ely housing estate on Monday night, crowds threw objects at police and set fire to cars.
Social media claims that the police had been pursuing the pair just before the collision caused violence to break out.
South Wales Police initially said there had been no chase, but CCTV later emerged appearing to show a police van closely following two people on a bike minutes before the collision.
After two teens died in a crash last night, rioting broke out on the streets of Cardiff, where more than 100 thugs set cars on fire and threw objects at police.
In a confrontation with South Wales Police, the mob was captured on camera hurling pyrotechnics, paving stones, and even a door before storming towards the police with riot shields.
Two cars were set on fire, and it’s claimed that rioters beat a bystander after mistaking them for an undercover police officer.
Jane Palmer, the owner of a burnt out Ford Focus on Highmead Road, said she and her family watched from their window as rioters set fire to her car. She said: ‘I’mdisabledso now I’m trapped without my car. Why are they doing this? It’s just silly now.’
The chaos broke out after officers were called out to reports of a serious collision on Snowden Road at around 6pm.
Alun Michael, the Police and Crime Commissioner in South Wales, said ‘something like a dozen’ were injured in the aftermath, adding it was lucky more were not seriously hurt.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘My understanding is that there was a road traffic accident involving two teenagers on an off-road bike or scooter and sadly, they died.
‘That’s an incident obviously that is being investigated in its own right. And that appears to have sparked, for reasons that aren’t clear, the disorder… in which something like a dozen officers were injured.
‘Fortunately, none of them life-threatening, and the connection between the two is far from clear.
‘So obviously there’s going to be investigations going on this morning to try and establish what happened.
‘It would appear that there were rumours, and those rumours became rife, of a police chase, which wasn’t the case and I think it illustrates the speed with which rumours can run around with the activity that goes on social media nowadays, and that events can get out of hand.’
John Urquhart, the general secretary of the UK Harmony Party, lives in Ely and witnessed the incident escalate from the start of the evening.
He said a lack of communication from police to the community may have led to the escalation of the event.
Mr Urquhart said: ‘The key thing right at the start was they did not communicate with the crowd, there was no attempt to communicate with the crowd and they showed nothing but disdain for the community and acted like we didn’t deserve to know what happened on our own doorstep.
‘There was nobody going through the crowd crucially, I think the police really needed people to be out talking to the community and putting their minds at ease.’
Mr Urquhart, who has lived in the area for the last few years, said the situation started to escalate at around 8pm.
He said the community in Ely is tight-knit, adding: ‘When you start to see it in context, it’s emotions that have built up and bottled up and eventually, I think the police just brought too many people or were too visible.’
At 8.21pm, South Wales Police tweeted: ‘There is now a large number of officers working to manage the collision, but also to de-escalate ongoing disorder at the scene.
‘We urge anyone involved to leave the scene immediately and ask local residents to stay away while the matter is brought to a safe conclusion.’
In an update at 1.10am, police said they were continuing to monitor and respond to ‘disorder in Ely’, adding: ‘A number of vehicles have been set alight. Arrests are being made. A large police presence remains in the area.’
A man called Connor, who also lives in Highmead Road, said: ‘It’s been a mad night.
‘This is not the norm around here but people are pretty anti-police and that’s reflected on both sides, not that that’s my opinion.
‘Although we’ve been afflicted by this riot, I still understand it. When people have enough, this is what happens.’
Rubbish and wheelie bins were set alight as well as cars by rioters as they continued to be moved through the streets by armoured police.
Rioters gradually moved down Highmead Road in Ely, Cardiff, followed by police who were trying to disperse them.
They continued to throw missiles and set cars alight.
Another resident of Highmead Road, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Enough is enough now. This has gone beyond.
‘When people are making fun of what’s happening on social media it’s crossed a line.
‘This is our neighbourhood and those doing this are just kids. It needs to stop.’
After three years of looking for a missing man in Wales, a body has been discovered.
After the finding by a community search team seeking for long-term missing man Jamie Moreno, South Wales Police were contacted at 10.42 am today (Sunday).
On March 23, 2020, about noon, Mr. Moreno—who was 48 at the time—vanished after leaving his Cardiff house.
He was spotted by a friend later that day and the last sighting of him was that afternoon on CCTV from a nearby school.
The dad-of-two was last seen three years ago.Mr Moreno’s family have been informed after a body was found in woodlands.
Last month, Mr Moreno’s sister Nilsa spoke about how he was struggling to cope with the death of their mum and stayed in the house for two years after she passed away.
South Wales Police has now confirmed that members of the public searching for him have found a body in the district where he was last seen.
Formal identification has yet to take place, but Mr Moreno’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
A spokesperson told Wales Online: ‘South Wales Police can confirm a body has been found in woodland in Pentwyn, Cardiff.
‘Police were called at 10.42am today (Sunday, March 12) following the discovery by a community search party looking for long-term missing man, Jamie Moreno.
‘Formal identification of the body has yet not been carried out as enquiries are ongoing at the scene.
‘The family of Jamie Moreno are being supported by specialist officers at this time.’
Three individuals were killed in a crash in Cardiff, and one of the survivors says he is “gutted” over his friends’ passing.
Last Saturday at 2:03 a.m., Shane Loughlin, 32, was riding in a vehicle with four other people when it ran off the road.
Before it was discovered shortly after midnight on Monday, the truck had been concealed by trees for 46 hours.
The crash victim expressed his shock and gut-wrenching feelings in a statement issued through a friend of Shane’s.
A Facebook post, shared on behalf of Shane, reads: ‘Only just found out what happened just want to say sorry to everyone and Thank you everyone who helped with the search party and thank you for everyone wishing me well I’ll be back soon love you all.
‘Rip Rafel, Eve, and Darcy.
‘Can’t believe it gutted is an understatement heart goes out to all families and friends of the people that has passed. Long way to recovery mentally and physically but we’ll get there.’
Shane and Sophie Russon, 20, had been found alive but badly injured in the wreckage next to their dead friends.
Darcy Ross, Rafel Jeanne and Eve Smith lost their lives in the crash (Picture: PA)
Police say the appeal is for witnesses who may have seen the vehicle and there is no suggestion that another vehicle was involved in the collision.
Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies of South Wales Police said: ‘The investigation is making good progress in piecing together the events leading up to the collision.
‘Specialist officers will continue to carry out a detailed investigation which will enable us to provide the facts of what happened during the early hours of Saturday morning.
‘Our thoughts continue to be with the families and all those affected by this tragic incident. Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.’
Shane Loughlin was badly injured in the crash (Picture: Facebook)Sophie Russon is also recovering in hospital (Picture: Wales News Service)
Police say the last confirmed sighting of the friends was at 2am on Saturday.
The group had visited a social club known as The Muffler in Newport on Friday night and later got into the car and drove 38 miles to a caravan park in Porthcawl.
There was an alleged noise complaint at the Trecco Bay camp but officers ‘don’t believe it played any major part’ in the later events.
The five friends were not discovered in the overturned car until just after midnight on Monday.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hoborough of Gwent Police said: ‘This is an extremely sad situation, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of each of the young people involved.
‘We will continue to support the investigation and would ask members of the public to refrain from speculation during this period.’
Gwent Police and South Wales Police will be investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over their handling of the case.
The final moments spent with his five friends before a car accident in Cardiff, Wales, that left three people dead and two others injured have been made public by a sixth passenger.
Last Saturday’s A48(M) collision near the St Mellons region of Cardiff claimed the lives of Eve Smith, Darcy Ross, and Rafel Jeanne, all of whom were 21 years old.
Shane Loughlin, 32, and Sophie Russon, 20 respectively, are currently battling for their life at the University Hospital of Wales in the nation’s capital.
The group of friends had been enjoying a night out at the Mufflet nightclub in Newport when their car crashed into a woodland in the early hours.
The group of five had gone for a night out in Newport.
Police have been using CCTV and number plate recognition cameras to understand what happened, believing just their car was involved.
But also aboard the white Volkswagen Tiguan was Joel Lia, 27, who was dropped off only hours before the incident.
Police had been reportedly searching for the sixth rider but Joel is now ‘fully cooperating’ with the force, a source has said.
The insider said: ‘He has been cooperating fully with the officers in the case and is understandably very upset by the events of that night.’
Joel left the car at around 2am in nearby Pentwyn, around two miles from the tragedy.
Police understand that he was with Rafel and Shane as they met up with Eve, Darcy and Sophie in the social club.
Police had been searching for a sixth rider aboard the car.
Rafel was a ‘very close friend’ of Joel and had gone out together the night before.
They all then hopped into their Volkswagen and drove around 38 miles to Porthcawl where Shane had a caravan in the Trecco Bay camp.
An alleged noise complaint was registered in the area but police do not believe it ‘played any major part’ in the incident.
Joel asked his friends to give him a lift to his home before they filled up their tank and headed to Newport to drop the three women home.
It would take 46 hours for the five to be discovered in their overturned car.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hoborough of Gwent Police said: ‘This is an extremely sad situation, and our thoughts are with the families and friends of each of the young people involved.
Sophie Russon is now fighting for her life after suffering serious injuries.
‘We will continue to support the investigation and would ask members of the public to refrain from speculation during this period.’
Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies of South Wales Police added: ‘Our thoughts continue to be with the families and all those affected by this tragic incident.
‘Specialist officers are carrying out a detailed investigation to piece together what has happened.’
Police are looking into a noise complaint filed at a campground before Saturday’s horrific incident in Cardiff.
It occurs as investigators are investigating a ‘altercation’ that is rumored to have taken place at the same home.
The VW Tiguan they were riding in off the road and struck some trees in the St Mellons neighborhood of the city, killing Eve Smith, Darcy Ross, both 21 years old, and Rafel Jeanne, 24.
48 hours later, the critically hurt but still alive Shane Loughlin, 32, and Sophie Russon, 20, were discovered within the accident.
In the hospital, they are still in a critical condition.
The friends had all been to the The Muffler social club in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday night and then travelled just under 40 miles to the Trecco Bay caravan park in Porthcawl.
A caravan at the holiday park where the group are understood to have stayed for a period of time prior to the accident has been cordoned off.
It is understood police are aware of a noise complaint made to the park’s security lodge about the group.
Eva Smith is one of the victims who died in the car crash.Bank worker Sophie Russon has had to undergo life-saving surgery.Darcy Ross also tragically died in the accident.Police launched a probe into ‘altercation’ at the caravan park as well.
The group left the caravan park a short time later and were last seen at about 2am in the Pentwyn area of Cardiff.
Investigations are ongoing into the exact time the crash happened.
Eve’s dad Everton Smith spoke in front of floral tributes laid for his daughter in Newport’s Commercial Street today and said ‘nothing will be the same’ following his daughter’s death.
South Wales Police said they are still working to ‘piece together’ what happened.
In a statement the force said: ‘South Wales Police is continuing to investigate the fatal road traffic collision on the A48 in the St Mellons area of Cardiff.
‘Our thoughts continue to be with the families and all those affected by this tragic incident.
‘Specialist officers are carrying out a detailed investigation to piece together what has happened.
Shane Loughlin survived the collision.Rafel Jeanne is thought to have been the son of former Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers player Leon Jeanne (Picture: Facebook)
‘Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.’
Tributes were paid to the victims in the Welsh Parliament on Wednesday.
Senedd speaker Elin Jones MS said: ‘On behalf of the Senedd, our sympathies are with the friends and families of Eve, Darcy and Rafel and our hopes are with Sophie and Shane for a full recovery.’
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into the actions of South Wales Police and Gwent Police.
This is because the group who were not found until just after midnight on Monday, March 6.
It comes after a friend of Rafel Jeanne discovered the car after just 15 minutes of searching.
Sophie Russon, 20, was so badly injured in the collision she was unable to reach her phone and call for help.
The bank worker has since undergone life-saving surgery in hospital.
A vigil was held at the crash site on Tuesday evening where around 1,000 people gathered, lighting candles and flares while others rode mopeds, motorbikes and quad bikes around the roundabout.
Family and friends looked on while a firework display lit up the sky above St Mellons for around 30 minutes.
Timeline: police confirm stages of investigation
The last confirmed sighting of the five people was at 2am on Saturday March 4 in Pentwyn.
The collision occurred during the early hours of Saturday March 4, the exact time to be confirmed by the investigation, including CCTV and ANPR enquiries.
The first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 7.34pm on Saturday March 4.
Further missing person reports were made to Gwent Police at 7.43pm and 9.32pm on Saturday March 4.
A further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 5.37pm on Sunday March 5.
At 11.50pm on Sunday March 5 the police helicopter was requested to search an area of Cardiff which resulted in a vehicle being located in a wooded area off the A48.
Gwent Police officers on the ground had sight of the car (a Volkswagen Tiguan) at 12:02am on Monday March 6, and this culminated in a log being created by South Wales Police at 12:15am.
At this stage, police believe only one vehicle to be involved.
A man who discovered the vehicle involved in a fatal collision in Cardiff asserted that police should have begun their search earlier.
Early on Saturday morning, Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, perished in an accident.
According to authorities, Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, both survived but are still in critical condition.
The VW Tiguan carrying the five people left the A48 in Cardiff and slammed into some trees in the Saint Mellons neighborhood.
Lewis Pace, 26, and Matthew Pace, 45, had joined a search team set up by friends who were worried about the group’s whereabouts.
After just 15 minutes of searching, the pair found the car shortly before officers arrived on the scene.
The father and son had spotted tyre marks leading off the road and into a wooded area.
The scene in the St Mellons area of Cardiff near where the car was found
Matthew said police arrived ‘about a minute’ after they did.
The wreckage of the VW Tiguan was found in a copse of trees and hidden from the view of the busy road, residential houses and the nearby garden centre.
Matthew told Sky News: ‘I pulled up, I was in the field, in the woods and then she [a police officer] pulled up behind me.
‘She was asking why I was there, and I said: “There’s all tyre marks here” and then her colleague came out, looked at the tyre marks and they got the helicopter to search in this bush and that’s when it was confirmed it was there.’
Rafel Jeanne lost his live in the crash (Picture: Facebook)
Lewis, who was close friends with Rafel Jeanne, added: ‘I’m devastated. I can’t cope, I can’t eat. It’s just devastating.’
Officers believe the car was involved in a collision and came off the A48(M) some time later, but further investigations using CCTV and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) inquiries are needed to establish an exact time.
The friend group in the vehicle had been to a social club in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday night and were thought to then have travelled 40 miles to the Trecco Bay area of Porthcawl.
Police have now confirmed they were last seen at about 2am on Saturday in Pentwyn, Cardiff.
A vigil was held this evening by friends and family of the victims.
Having failed to return home, they were reported missing by their families, the first call coming into the police at 7.34pm on Saturday while further reports were made up until 5.37pm on Sunday.
Hundreds of people took part in searches but Gwent Police did not issue a public appeal for help until 11pm on Sunday.
In a joint statement, Gwent and South Wales Police said a police helicopter was requested to search an area of Cardiff at 11.50pm on Sunday, which the forces said resulted in the vehicle being found at 12.15am on Monday.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the police response.
The group were seen in the city in the early hours of Saturday before they vanished.
Tamzin Samuels, 20, a friend of the young women and who helped in the search effort, told the PA news agency: ‘I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier.
‘They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them – we rang the police.
‘The search party found the girls before the police found the girls.
‘I think that speaks volumes really, they had all that equipment, and we had cars when we were looking.
‘They were really popular girls, the life of the party, and it was really out of character for them to do what they did, which is why we knew something was wrong.’
Hundreds gathered in Cardiff tonight in a vigil for the friends who lost their lives in the crash.
A crowd of at least a few hundred people arrived on the roundabout on the A48, which has been closed to traffic.
Flowers and candles have been laid out near the scene in a tribute to the victims, who were from Newport.
People also let out heart-shaped balloon bouquets in the air in their memory.
Her mother, Anna Cerowicz, told the Sun: ’She doesn’t know where she is or what happened.
‘She had panic attacks throughout the night when she came round so they sedated her.
The scene in the St Mellons area of Cardiff where the car was found (Picture: PA)Bank worker Sophie Russon was trapped for two days in the wreckage (Picture: Media Wales)
‘She’s in shock and has a lot of injuries. You can’t recognise her.’
Anna said her thoughts went out to the parents who had lost children in the horror crash.
She added: ‘She [Sophie] was in a small space, cold, scared stiff and not able to reach her mobile phone.
‘There’s no words to describe it. I can’t imagine how long it’s going to take for her to get over this. She’s going to need a lot of support.
‘I’m heartbroken for the families of Eve and Darcy. They’ve lost a child at the end of the day, I nearly lost mine.’
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into two police forces over the search for missing victims.
It came after a friend of Rafel Jeanne discovered the car after just 15 minutes of searching.
The group had been to a social club in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday and are thought to have then travelled 40 miles to the Trecco Bay area of Porthcawl.
Fireworks were let off at a vigil tonight near the scene of the crash (Picture: PA)People brought signs and balloons to pay tribute to the three friends that lost their lives (Picture: PA)
After failing to go home, the five were reported missing by their families.
A vigil was held at the crash site on Tuesday evening where around 1,000 people gathered, lighting candles and flares while others rode mopeds, motorbikes and quad bikes around the roundabout.
A firework display lit up the sky above St Mellons for around 30 minutes while family and friends looked on.
Police have confirmed the group were last seen at about 2am on Saturday in Pentwyn, Cardiff.
In a joint statement, Gwent Police and South Wales Police said a helicopter was asked to search an area of Cardiff at 11.50pm on Sunday, which the forces said led to the vehicle being found 25 minutes later.
To honor the three people who perished in a horrific crash in Wales, a vigil is being held.
When Rafel Jeanne, Eve Smith, and Darcy Ross‘ VW Tiguan left the A48 in Cardiff and struck several trees in the Saint Mellons neighborhood, they were all murdered.
Although they lived, their two pals Sophie Russon and Shane Loughlin are still in critical condition.
Some hundred people have gathered at the A48 junction, which has been restricted to traffic, but more are anticipated to join.
Two minute silence and fireworks for crash victims at St Mellons vigil
People leaving bouquets of flowers on the roundabout of the A48
Flowers and candles have been laid out near the scene in a tribute to the victims, who were from Newport.
People also let out heart-shaped balloon bouquets in the air in their memory.
The community is demanding answers why it took the police so long to find the group, who had been missing for more than 48 hours.
They had been to a social club in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday and were thought to then have travelled 40 miles to the Trecco Bay area of Porthcawl.
More mourners are expected to turn up over the course of the evening
It is believed they then went to the Llanedeyrn area of Cardiff and were last seen at about 2am on Saturday.
All five were later reported missing by their families after they did not hear from them.
Friends and family desperately searched for them over the weekend and just after midnight on Monday, the car they had been travelling in was found crashed off the A48.
Tamzin Samuels, a friend of the three young women, said: ‘I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier.
‘They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them – we rang the police.
‘The search party found the girls before the police found the girls.
‘I think that speaks volumes really, they had all that equipment, and we had cars when we were looking.
‘They were really popular girls, the life of the party, and it was really out of character for them to do what they did, which is why we knew something was wrong.’
Following what appears to be a car accident, two more people were transported to the hospital with significant injuries, according to Gwent Police.
Three ladies and two men went missing on Saturday morning after their distraught relatives had not heard from them since 2 a.m.
Although the exact time of the car crash is unknown, it was discovered early on Monday morning, two days after the group disappeared.
All five clubgoers had last been seen in Cardiff in the early hours of Saturday.
Sophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, and Darcy Ross, 21, had travelled there from Porthcawl.
They had made the trip in a Volkswagen Tiguan with Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32, both from Cardiff.
Family members shared a CCTV image of the car before it was found this morning The scene on the A48 on March 6, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales this morning Eve Smith, 21, is one of five people who vanished after a night outDarcy Ross, 21, was also reported missing by her family Sophie Russon, 20, also went clubbing with the group in Cardiff
Following a search, police said the VW Tiguan had been recovered just after midnight in the St Mellons area of Cardiff.
The force has not identified who has been found dead and alive after the car seemingly came off the A48.
None of the group had contacted their family or been active on social media since the night out, with loved ones saying they ‘knew something was wrong’.
Sophie’s mother Anna Certowicz, 42, claimed last night that police officers had told her to ‘stop ringing’ the station for updates.
She says they ‘just didn’t seem to think it was worth investigating’ and believes ‘they assumed that Sophie was hungover somewhere’.
Ms Certowicz drove around the Gwent and Cardiff areas last night in a desperate search for her daughter.
‘They didn’t seem to care. I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing s*d all’, she told the Daily Mail.
‘I think they assumed that Sophie was hungover somewhere, but she’s a sensible girl who works in a bank and hasn’t taken a day off for three years.’
Police were also searching for Rafel Jeanne, 24Shane Loughlin, 32, is the last member of the group It took nearly two days before the vehicle was found by police
The terrified mum added that Sophie had known Eve and Darcy since childhood and they were ‘incredibly close’.
Meanwhile, Eve’s sister, Lauren Doyle, previously revealed that her sibling’s car was still outside the Muffler club where they went out, and that her mum had her keys and bank card.
‘We are all worried sick and thinking the worst’, she said.
Specialist officers are supporting the families of those involved and inquiries are ongoing.
The case has been referred to the IOPC in line with normal procedures.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police.
Swansea maintained their south Wales derby dominance as a 2-0 victory over 10-man Cardiff steered them into the top four of the Sky Bet Championship.
Ollie Cooper and Michael Obafemi scored either side of the interval to secure Swansea a sixth win in eight derby meetings, with Cardiff claiming just one victory in that time.
Cooper’s strike was particularly sweet for the fast-maturing midfielder who was rejected by Cardiff – the club his father Kevin played for between 2005 and 2008 – after having several trials in the Welsh capital.
Cardiff’s cause was severely hampered by playing with 10 men for 83 minutes after Callum Robinson was sent off for violent conduct.
Robinson collected a first career red card for stupidly reacting to Ben Cabango nudging him firmly from behind by throwing the ball into the face of the Wales defender.
Bluebirds boss Mark Hudson had spoken about playing with passion after their poor run of results in this fixture, but Robinson clearly overstepped the mark and could have no complaints over being banished.
Swansea took their time to make the most of the extra man, although Obafemi wasted a gilt-edged opportunity after Cooper and Luke Cundle had unlocked the visitors’ defence.
Tom Sang’s sidefoot volley from 20 yards forced Steven Benda into a flying save, but Cardiff could not prevent the tide of white-shirted attacks coming their way.
Swansea were denied a clear penalty after 34 minutes when Cedric Kipre punched away Matty Sorinola’s cross.
It was a blatant offence but Darren Bond waved play on, much to the disgust of incensed home players who had surrounded the referee.
Swansea’s sense of injustice was still simmering as Cundle pounced on Niels Nkounkou’s poor clearance.
Cundle was halted before the ball ran loose to Cooper, who curled it past the helpless Ryan Allsop and over the line off the crossbar for his third goal in four games.
Obafemi guided wide and Cooper miscued Joel Latibeaudiere’s superb cross with Swansea looking to put the game beyond Cardiff before half-time.
Harry Darling and Callum O’Dowda clashed and were cautioned as tempers rose again after the restart.
Swansea’s patient approach was almost rewarded as Obafemi turned sharply to force a fine save from Allsop.
The home side’s bookings count swelled with Obafemi and Cundle punished, and substitute Mark Harris headed over as Cardiff showed signs they were still in the contest.
But Obafemi, who scored twice in a 4-0 win at Cardiff in April, settled the issue after 67 minutes by striding on to Matt Grimes’ delightful pass and picking his spot.
It rubber-stamped Swansea’s seventh win in nine games and made it 15 goals in the last eight derbies compared to Cardiff’s one.
