Heavy police presence expected in Middlesbrough as people gather for A66 crash funeral
A heavy police presence is expected in Middlesbrough as hundreds of people are due to gather at the funeral for one of the young men killed in a head-on crash on the A66.
A heavy police presence is expected in Middlesbrough as hundreds of people are due to gather at the funeral for one of the young men killed in a head-on crash on the A66.
Seven people, including two police officers, died when a Volkswagen Passat going the wrong way down the dual carriageway hit a marked armed response vehicle.
The crash killed Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38.
The five young men in the Volkswagen – Jakub Matusiak, 23; Cole Worthy, 17; Theo Rae, 17; Makai Saddington, 18; and Michael Cahill, 23 – were also pronounced dead at the scene.
On Friday Cleveland Police said there would be a visible police presence as the funeral of Mr Matusiak was due to take place in the South Bank area of the town.
Superintendent John Wrintmore said potential traffic disruption and delays are expected from 3pm to 5pm, affecting South Bank, Normanby Road through Teesville, Ormesby and Marton, and Acklam Road.
He said: “There will be a proportionate visible police presence in the affected areas to ensure public safety, in line with our plans for any significant gathering.
“Should anyone have any concerns, please speak with officers in the area.”
Four schools are due to shut their doors at lunchtime in a decision which has been condemned by shadow education secretary Laura Trott as “wrong”.
Mr Whitmore said the closures were “not a police recommendation” and had been “a decision made by those organisations in isolation”.
South Bank Primary School head teacher Tammy Cooper said will close for pupils at 12pm on Friday “to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils”.
South Bank Primary School will close for pupils at 12pm on Friday “to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils”.
Head teacher Tammy Cooper said in a message shared on Facebook that a funeral is being held locally and they are expecting “large numbers of people in the area which will inevitably cause congestion and transport disruption”.
Conservative MP Ms Trott had urged education Secretary Lucy Powell to intervene in a letter shared on X, writing: “You have a duty to ensure that this does not impact on the honest and decent pupils, parents and teachers in the area.”
Ms Trott said that “children should not be kept out of school because of the behaviour of thugs on the streets”, adding: “If schools are closing because of concerns about disorder, intimidation or criminality in the surrounding area, then those responsible should be held to account by law.”
A vigil for Mr Cahill last week prompted criticism from MPs and police after a crowd set fire to a number of cars in Haswell, County Durham.