More than £253,000 has been raised for the families of two Cleveland Police officers who died when a car travelling the wrong way on a dual carriageway crashed into their vehicle.
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat, which had been pursued by police, hit their marked armed response vehicle seconds after the chase was terminated. Five other people were also pronounced dead at the scene in Teesside early on Saturday (August 22).
Fundraiser launched by police federation
A fundraiser created by the Cleveland Police Federation on Sunday reached over £253,000 early on Monday (August 24). Organisers said funds raised would be split equally between the two officers’ families and the federation would continue to provide support. A second crowdfunder for the families had raised more than £27,600.
Cleveland Police launched the chase after receiving intelligence relating to “numerous incidents” linked to a Passat, which activated an ANPR camera and is believed to have been using cloned plates, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said. Pc Blades and Pc Clough were not involved in the original pursuit but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat.
Tributes to the officers
Family members described former Civil Nuclear Constabulary officer Pc Clough as “our hero” who was “always on public duty”. In a statement issued by Cleveland Police, Pc Blades’ wife called him “my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys”.
Pc Blades had recently joined Seaton Carew FC as a coach and was looking forward to teaching his son in its under-sevens Seahawks squad, the club said. The officer also coached his eldest son and other youngsters in the under-10s Reds team at FC Hartlepool, which called him “a role model, a mentor, a friend, and someone the children looked up to and admired”.
Crash details and community response
The Passat was spotted and an armed response vehicle pursued it for just under seven minutes before the car drove on to the A66 in South Bank against the flow of traffic. Police aborted the chase and continued on the correct side of the carriageway. The Passat crashed into Pc Blades and Pc Clough’s vehicle around 10 seconds after the chase ended.
Tributes for the five young men were shared on social media, with balloon releases announced in their memory on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at different locations, including in South Bank. A silent prayer vigil will be held at St John the Evangelist Church in South Bank on Monday.
