A fundraising appeal for the families of two police officers who died in a collision on the A66 has exceeded £875,000. More than 30,000 contributions have been made, with donations continuing to arrive.
Target set at £1.2m
An ambitious target of £1.2m has been set, to be divided between the families of PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. The pair were fatally injured when a Volkswagen Passat, driving in the wrong direction, collided with their patrol car on the A66 at South Bank in the early hours of Saturday, August 22.
Five people travelling in the Passat also died. They are Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.
Force left 'completely numb'
The Cleveland Police Federation said the force has been left "completely numb" by the tragedy. A GoFundMe campaign launched at 5pm on Sunday exceeded £250,000 in under 24 hours.
Organisers wrote: "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. They did not return home to their families.
"They leave behind heartbroken loved ones who will struggle to come to terms with the loss of their loved one. Cleveland Police Federation are supporting and will continue to support the families of Matt and Tom at this unfathomable moment.
"We are asking for help to support the families of our two colleagues, to assist them in any way as they try to navigate this traumatic time. Any funds raised will be split equally between their two families to be used as they so wish."
Public reaction 'staggering'
Lauren Somerville, Chair of Cleveland Police Federation, said: "We are simply staggered by the public's reaction to this fundraising request - and would like to thank each and every person who has kindly donated. It means so much.
"We are a small force, and the death of our colleagues has been felt deeply... we are completely numb. Matt and Tom were not just colleagues... they were friends, teammates and valued members of the policing family. If some good can come of this... and the officer's families can see such a phenomenal show of support from the public and police family towards them - and their future lives can be made just that little bit easier - then that is a small something that will keep us all going in the toughest of times."
PC Blades was married with two sons, while PC Clough leaves behind a partner. The federation is also providing assistance to fellow officers throughout the force.
Investigation details
On Sunday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is overseeing the investigation, confirmed preliminary enquiries revealed Cleveland Police had received intelligence relating to incidents connected to a Volkswagen Passat. An armed response vehicle initiated a pursuit before the Passat turned onto the A66 in South Bank, travelling against oncoming traffic. At 3.39am, the Passat collided with a separate police vehicle carrying PCs Blades and Clough.
Cleveland Police announced yesterday that twelve individuals — nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61 — had been arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including possession of a firearm and participation in the activities of an organised crime group. Today, five further arrests were made, including a 16-year-old boy and two men, 18 and 21, arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group. A 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, and a 23-year-old man on suspicion of making threats to kill.
Officers also confirmed that, at this stage, there is no evidence to suggest that footage of the events had been recorded for the purposes of TikTok.
