Donations to the families of two Cleveland Police officers killed when a car fleeing a police pursuit smashed into their vehicle on the A66 have topped £750,000, as six people remain in custody in an organised crime investigation linked to the crash, which killed seven people in total.
Cleveland Police set up a GoFundMe appeal for the families of PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matt Blades, 37, who died when a Volkswagen Passat, fresh from a police pursuit, hit their vehicle head-on while travelling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough. By the early hours of Monday, the public had donated £750,000, while a separate appeal set up by Pocket Sergeant had raised a further £40,000.
The force's tribute read: "PC Matt Blades and PC Tom Clough were both dedicated and committed Police Officers who left their families and went to work to serve their community and protect the public. Tragedy struck these two brave Cleveland Police colleagues in the early hours of 22nd August 2026 and they paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty."
Organised crime investigation
Police believe the activities of the Passat and a second car, a Volvo XC60 seen ramming houses in Middlesbrough the same night, were linked, and that both vehicles were using cloned number plates to avoid detection. Videos posted to social media after the crash appeared to show gang members in earlier police chases.
Four of the five young men killed in the Passat had a combined 37 previous convictions between them, for offences including drugs, assault and robbery. Cole Worthy had pleaded guilty to common assault of a police officer and driving without a licence, insurance or reasonable consideration; Makai Saddington had convictions for possession of a knife and drugs, assaulting police officers and racially aggravated harassment; and Theo Rae had 12 shoplifting convictions and two counts of aggravated vehicle taking.
Cleveland Police believes Saturday's crash may be a symptom of wider organised crime on Teesside. Twelve people, nine men and three women aged between 19 and 61, were arrested on suspicion of offences including being part of an organised crime group, gun possession and criminal damage. As of Monday afternoon, five had been remanded in custody, one recalled to prison, five released on bail, and the status of one was unclear.
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, who is leading the investigation, said: "We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice. Our robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come, as we continue to tackle those that seek to cause harm to our communities and tackle serious and organised crime."
Two vigils, two very different moods
On Monday, balaclava-clad youths gathered with flares in a field in South Bank, Middlesbrough, to hold a tribute to five suspected "joyriders" killed in the Passat. Dozens of flares filled the field with orange smoke as bikes revved their engines and blared horns, in what began as a balloon release before descending into noise and confusion.
A grandmother who walked past the event said: "This is nothing but a mockery of the lives of those policemen. I've watched them down there drinking and smoking weed and razzing about on their motorbikes. There's nothing here to celebrate."
The gathering was held to commemorate Jakub Matusiak, 23. Similar vigils are due to be held this week for the other men. One woman in her 20s at the vigil defended Matusiak, saying: "Jakub was a lovely, caring lad and he's somebody's son and somebody's brother, he's not some scumbag who should just be written off and forgotten. It was an accident that those police officers died, they weren't trying to kill anyone and they lost their own lives but they've just been written off as if they don't matter. The number of people who have come out for Jakub today should show you that they do matter, they were loved and they will be missed."
By contrast, a silent prayer vigil for PC Clough and PC Blades was held at nearby St John The Evangelist Church. Labour MP for Redcar Anna Turley said: "The whole community here is reeling, and we've lost lives, particularly those lives of brave police officers who are out in action to keep us safe. It's a tragic incident."
Cleveland Police kept a low-key presence at the joyriders' gathering, with a patrol car from the Matrix team, the unit PC Clough and PC Blades worked in, parked around 500 yards away alongside a police van. Many residents of the surrounding streets chose not to attend.
The five who died in the Volkswagen
Those in the Passat were Jakub Matusiak, 23, Michael Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Worthy, 17, and Makai Saddington, 18.
The officers remembered
PC Blades, a married father of two, was also a football coach. He had recently joined Seaton Carew FC and was looking forward to coaching his son in the club's under-sevens Seahawks squad. He also coached his eldest son and other children in FC Hartlepool's under-10s Reds team, which described him as "a role model, a mentor, a friend and someone the children looked up to and admired." His wife called him "our superhero," adding: "He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness."
PC Clough, 38, a former soldier, was described by his family as "our hero" who was "always on public duty" and "jumped into action whenever needed and was willing to help anyone for any reason." His family said he "proudly fought for his country to make the world a better place," and thanked friends, colleagues and the wider community for their support.
How the crash happened
The officers were killed instantly at 3.30am on Saturday when the Passat, fleeing a separate police car, entered the A66 on the wrong side. Police had pursued the Passat for seven minutes before calling off the chase as it entered the dual carriageway; ten seconds later it hit the patrol car driven by PC Blades and PC Clough, who had not been part of the pursuit. All seven people involved in the crash were pronounced dead at the scene.
Videos surface online
A video emerged on Sunday of Cahill filming himself driving at high speed through a residential area, though police said they did not believe Saturday's crash was filmed for TikTok. Saddington's TikTok account featured videos appearing to show him in high-speed police chases, including one filmed in May showing him being driven in an Audi through a housing estate while a police car with flashing lights followed. Another video linked to his account showed a green Nissan being driven before it was set alight, and other images showed him posing in cars wearing a balaclava. A video from Matusiak's TikTok profile showed him driving recklessly through a neighbourhood, swerving onto a green in the middle of an estate, captioned: "Unfortunately I'm not a nonchalant boyfriend."
Similar crash in Ireland
The Middlesbrough crash came less than a week after five teenagers died in a head-on collision while driving the wrong way down the M9 in County Kildare, Ireland. A family in the other car, three women and a seven-year-old boy, were seriously injured; they are thought to have been driving to an airport to begin a holiday. At least three of the teenagers involved had boasted online about driving the wrong way down motorways to evade police.
Government response
Speaking during a visit to Kyiv on Monday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government had urged TikTok and other platforms to remove videos glorifying dangerous driving, adding that those who share such content are "doing something that's truly reprehensible." A Downing Street spokesman said: "The glorification of dangerous driving for clips and entertainment is utterly disgraceful and that is why we have raised the issue of this appalling content with social media companies since the tragedy."
