More than 200 extra police officers have been drafted in to support Cleveland Police following a series of incidents, including a head-on crash that killed two police officers and five young men, and a fatal house fire.
Investigations were continuing after a woman and a seven-year-old girl died in a blaze in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, on Wednesday, which was only a mile away from the scene of Saturday’s deadly collision on the A66.
String of incidents
In the early hours of Thursday morning, a vehicle crashed into a wall outside a house in Steele Crescent, South Bank, minutes away from the other two scenes. Elsewhere on Thursday, a man was receiving treatment after being stabbed in Eston, about two miles away from the A66 crash.
Following the incidents, Alec Brown, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, said more than 200 extra police officers have been, or will be, deployed from around the country to support Cleveland Police.
Council leader's statement
On social media, he said: “Thank you so much to the superintendent from Cleveland Police that has just taken their time to give updates to myself, Anna Turley (MP for Redcar), South Bank and Grangetown Ward councillors.
“They are working 20-hour days to ensure the ongoing safety of innocent residents. Over 200 extra police officers from forces around the country are here and are en route, from detectives to armed response.
“I will be sending a letter today to our Prime Minister asking for even more resource. The police really are doing an amazing job.
“If it is any reassurance at all, jobs called in to the police are actually down this week, however, the seriousness of the ones that have been called in need serious and swift action.
“Everyone is heartbroken over the loss of the aunt and little girl in Grangetown yesterday. People need to feel safe in their homes.”
Victims and arrests
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died in the head-on collision with a Volkswagen Passat on Saturday. Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jakub Matusiak - who were in the Passat - were also killed in the incident.
Police have arrested 17 people, charging two of them and bailing the others, as part of investigations following the A66 crash.
Meanwhile, two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in relation to the fire which killed Natalie McDonald, 34, and seven-year-old Valentina Foster, and injured four others.
Ms McDonald's brother Josh Kirton told reporters: "My sister was not involved with anything to do with gangs, or the (crash on the) A66. That's what makes this so senseless. People think they can do whatever they like. There's some terrible people in the world and now my sister and Valentina have gone."
Cleveland Police said earlier this week it was "keeping an open mind" about the fire and said it could not "rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time". Officers investigating the South Bank crash said they had not yet confirmed whether it was linked to wider organised crime.
