An ex-police officer and TV investigator has branded friends of the A66 crash gang "scum" for holding a memorial event that celebrated their criminal lives. Mark Williams-Thomas said PCs Matthew Blades, 37, and Tom Clough, 38, were "murdered" by the "criminal" youths.
Hundreds of youths on motorbikes gathered this week to set off flares and balloons in memory of Jakub Matusiak and Cole Worthy, who died alongside Makai Saddington, Michael Cahill and Theo Rae as they sped the wrong way down the A-road.
Ex-cop's condemnation
Ex-cop Mark, whose TV investigative work exposed Jimmy Savile as a monster, said in a social media video: "I don't use this word lightly, but they are all scum."
He said: "I am abroad filming, but I wanted to post about the murders of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, who were killed by a group of joyriders."
Crash details and investigation
The horror smash on the A66 near Middlesbrough is alleged to have happened after a house belonging to Gye Worthy, 39 – the dad of one of the victims – had been rammed by another motor. There is no suggestion he was involved in any criminal activity.
The Volkswagen Passat the youths were in was fleeing cops, who ended their chase before its wrong-way crash into another police car on the dual carriageway.
Mark said: "The response of two of the killers' family and friends – Worthy and Matusiak – was to hold an event to release balloons and celebrate their criminal lives and deaths. That says it all. And I don't use this word lightly, but they are all scum. They all gathered in Middlesbrough, not far from where the murder of the officers occurred. The event was attended, not surprisingly, by a mass of youths on motorbikes and quadbikes. My thoughts are with the family of those police officers and their friends and, of course, officers at Cleveland Police. And it is a stark reminder to us all of the lawlessness and how speeding has been glorified on social media in recent years."
Arrests and ongoing incidents
Police probing the crash have arrested 17 more people amid claims of a gang feud. A murder investigation was today launched after two people died in a house fire in Grangetown, Middlesbrough, about two miles from the A66 crash.
A woman remains in the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in a critical condition, and a further three people have suffered non-life-threatening injuries who are currently receiving treatment in hospital. A heavy police presence was visible in the area, including armed cops at the scene.
