Cleveland Police have confirmed that the A66 crash that killed seven people and a fatal house fire are not being linked as investigations into both tragedies continue. The reassurance comes after a week in which nine people died in separate incidents, including two serving officers.
Two tragedies in one week
Seven-year-old Valentina Foster and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died in a house fire on Wednesday, days after seven people lost their lives in an A66 collision, among them Cleveland Police officers Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough. Cleveland Police have emphasised that the two tragedies are not connected as enquiries progress.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland, who oversees local policing at Cleveland Police, said personnel had worked tirelessly following the fatal A66 crash while also dealing with the tragic house fire.
Force under national spotlight
He said: "Since the tragic incident last Saturday morning in which seven people, including two of our serving police officers, Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough, sadly lost their lives, officers and staff have remained working around the clock to continue to serve the public of Cleveland."
"In the same week, we have also seen a tragic house fire on Wednesday in which two people lost their lives, which is also understandably impacting the force and our local communities. At this time, we are not linking this incident to the fatal collision on the A66."
"Our thoughts remain with all those affected by these incidents as we continue our investigations into what happened."
ACC Sutherland acknowledged that officers continue to face considerable challenges, but stressed that the force remains steadfast in its commitment to fighting crime and safeguarding communities. He said: "Since these two horrific events, the reality of policing in Cleveland and the levels of violence suffered in our communities, has come under the spotlight on a national level."
"Brave officers face significant challenges day in day out, but I want to reassure the public that we will remain unwavering in our efforts to tackle criminals and protect our communities."
Additional support and resources
He further confirmed that Cleveland Police had received additional backing from neighbouring forces and the National Crime Agency. ACC Sutherland noted that the extra resources would enable the force to uphold its service to the public, while maintaining patrols in the worst-affected areas and ensuring a visible police presence for anyone wishing to speak to officers.
He said: "It's important to acknowledge the support and additional resource we are receiving from a number of other forces in the northern region and beyond, and also from the National Crime Agency."
"This support not only means we can maintain our service to the public, but also continue to conduct patrols in the areas most affected and be a visible presence should anyone wish to speak to officers with any concerns."
Anna Turley, Redcar's MP, revealed she'd attended a briefing with Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller, who sought to give the public confidence that the force possessed the necessary resources. Ms Turley acknowledged that locals were experiencing fear in their neighbourhoods following recent events.
She explained: "People are feeling frightened in their communities, and I've just come from a really important briefing with the chief constable, who said that 'I really want to reassure people that we have all the resources we need'."
MP urges public not to assume incidents are connected
Ms Turley emphasised that not every matter being dealt with by officers was related to the broader investigation into organised criminality. She cautioned against people making assumptions that recent events were all interconnected due to the heightened national focus on Cleveland.
She said: "I think it's really important to get across the fact that these incidents are not all linked."
"It could feel that way at the moment because of the national spotlight on us, but unfortunately, we know we've had a high level of crime in this area for a long time now. These are incidents, sadly, that we see all the time."
"It shouldn't be this way, and it's up to us to make sure that there isn't a business as usual which sees that high level of crime and disorder going forward."
ACC Sutherland also expressed gratitude to the public for their backing during what has been an exceptionally challenging week for officers, personnel and the broader community. He said: "Lastly, I want to thank the general public. Our officers work closely with many corners of our communities on a daily basis to tackle issues in their local neighbourhoods, and whose support these past seven days has been overwhelming and very much appreciated."
