Cleveland Police have linked a head-on crash on the A66 to organised crime and stated they cannot rule out a connection to a house fire. The crash on Saturday killed seven people, including two police officers, PC Matthew Blades and Tom Clough. The house fire, also on Saturday, killed Natalie McDonald, 34, and her seven-year-old niece Valentina Foster.
The collision on the A66 occurred after police had pursued a VW Passat with five young men inside for seven minutes. The pursuit was aborted, and ten seconds later the Passat crashed into a police car. Everyone involved died at the scene.
About 200 extra police officers from forces including Northumbria, Durham, Humberside, and North, South and West Yorkshire, as well as the National Crime Agency, have been drafted into the area. Alec Brown, leader of Redcar and Cleveland council, said authorities are working to ensure people feel safe.
Residents have expressed concerns about gangs involved in drug dealing and other crimes. Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, described the situation as a form of “terrorism”.