‘These were brave officers’: tributes paid to Cleveland police killed in A66 crash

Tributes are being paid to two police officers who died on Teesside when a car travelling the wrong way along the A66 crashed head on into their vehicle, also killing five young men. PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when the marked armed response vehicle they were in was struck by a Volkswagen Passat in the early hours of Saturday morning. On Sunday, Anna Turley, a Home Office minister and local Redcar MP, said that it was “devastating” to think about the grief of the families of everyone who lost their lives on Saturday morning.

The whole community was “reeling”, she said. Turley said it was important to avoid speculation about what might have happened and allow families the privacy to grieve. The bravery that we see from our police officers every day, every night is incredible.

No one should not come home to their families at the end of their shift.” She also said it was important to thank the emergency services who attended at the scene during “a really horrific incident”. The prime minister, Andy Burnham, said he was “devastated” to hear that two police officers lost their lives on duty, as well as five members of the public. Thank you to the emergency services responding in incredibly difficult circumstances.

I would urge people to avoid speculation at this time.” Cleveland police chief constable, Victoria Fuller, said she and her deputy had on Saturday visited the families of the two officers to offer condolences and support. She said: “Words cannot describe the pain the Cleveland police family are feeling. The Tees Valley mayor, Ben Houchen, said in a statement on Facebook: “A horrible and tragic incident in South Bank this morning and my thoughts are with those affected, their families and the emergency services who attended the scene.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash at 3.39am in South Bank after a mandatory referral from Cleveland police. Police vehicles had been pursuing the car before it joined the A66 although it is understood the pursuit had ended before the fatal crash. Ring doorbell footage published by several websites minutes before the crash shows a car being driven at speed down a residential road and being followed by police cars.

Ellie Westerman, who lives locally, told the Sun: “The noise woke me and I shot out of bed. You could feel the vibration in the house as the car went past and the police vehicles followed with their lights and sirens going. It was frightening that cars were being driven at that speed through a residential area.”