‘Devastated’: Andy Burnham leads tributes after 2 police officers among 7 killed in northeast England
Tributes are being paid to two police officers who were among seven people killed in a head-on collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday.Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was “devastated” by the deaths of PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, who were on duty when their marked Cleveland Police vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way.“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone involved, and with everyone at Cleveland Police,” Burnham said, while thanking emergency services who responded to the crash and urging people to avoid speculation.
Seven killed in A66 horror crash
The crash took place at around 3.39am in South Bank, near Middlesbrough. Five young men travelling in the Volkswagen Passat were also killed. They are yet to be formally identified by authorities and are believed to have been in their late teens or early 20s.All seven people in the two vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the incident as “devastating”, saying police officers put their safety on the line every day to protect their communities. She extended her condolences to the victims’ families, emergency responders and the wider police family.
Police pursuit under investigation
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to the collision following a mandatory referral from Cleveland Police.The BBC understands police had earlier spotted a suspicious vehicle and begun pursuing it. However, the pursuit had ended before the fatal collision, and the police vehicle carrying Blades and Clough was not part of that pursuit and was in the area at the time.Security camera and Ring doorbell footage from nearby homes appears to show a car travelling at high speed while being followed by police vehicles shortly before the crash.The IOPC said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and urged against speculation while the inquiry is ongoing.
‘Brave officers’ remembered
Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller said she and her deputy had visited the officers’ families to offer condolences and support.“These were brave officers, protecting our communities and serving our residents, who didn’t return home to their families at the end of their shift,” Fuller said.Cleveland Police Federation chair Lauren Somerville described the loss as “unfathomable”, saying the grief within the force was overwhelming.Redcar MP Anna Turley said seven lives had been “cut short needlessly”, describing the deaths as a tragedy for the local community and Cleveland Police.Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen also paid tribute to the officers and other emergency workers who responded to the “horrible and tragic incident”.The A66 remained closed on Sunday as investigations continued.
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