Durham Constabulary has condemned the behaviour of a crowd who set fire to a number of cars as part of a tribute to one of those who died in the A66 crash, describing it as “completely unacceptable” and saying it was deemed safest to let the vehicles burn out.
Officers were called to a private field in the Haswell area of County Durham shortly after 5.30pm on Thursday, where five vehicles were wrecked as a large crowd gathered to release balloons, flares, and fireworks.
Vigil for crash victim
The incident is understood to have been a vigil to remember A66 crash victim Michael Cahill, 23. A force spokesman said: “The majority of the crowd had travelled from outside the County Durham area, bringing with them a number of vehicles.
“During the gathering, which lasted approximately one hour, five vehicles were set on fire and members of the crowd released balloons, flares, and fireworks. As the field was contained and it was assessed there was no immediate risk to wider public safety, the vehicle fires were allowed to burn-out.”
Nobody was injured and no arrests were made. Videos shared on social media on Thursday evening appeared to show several cars on fire, and others showed burnt-out cars being moved from the field, 20 miles north of the crash site, by a tractor. On Friday, remnants of fireworks, smoke canisters and balloons were scattered around the field, with scorch marks visible on the ground. The cars have been removed but a section of a front bumper remained in place.
Police response
Assistant Chief Constable Jon McAdam said: “The behaviour we saw at last night’s gathering was completely unacceptable. Our officers and the communities of County Durham and Darlington were understandably horrified by the tragedy which unfolded on the A66 last week which resulted in multiple deaths, including two serving police officers.
“We utterly condemn anyone who would use that tragedy as an excuse for disorder and expect the overwhelming majority of the public would join us in doing so.”
The incident is the latest in a series in the Middlesbrough and County Durham area, starting with the head-on crash that killed two police officers and five young men on Saturday, followed by a house fire which claimed the lives of a seven-year-old girl and her aunt on Wednesday, which have led to hundreds of extra police officers being drafted in. Amid reports of other incidents, including a stabbing and properties being rammed, Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Andy McDonald described what is going on in the area as “terrorism”.
Political reactions
Mr McDonald told Times Radio: “This is terrorism and we’ve got to have an appropriate response to deal with the people who are causing such mayhem in our communities and to allow people to lead their peaceful lives.”
On Friday, Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, said the scenes in Haswell were “completely unacceptable”. In a post on Facebook, the Home Office minister said: “It puts lives at risk, places even more pressure on our already stretched emergency services and leaves residents frightened and angry in their own communities. After everything our area has endured over the past week, I will not accept this kind of behaviour becoming normalised.”
The minister said she had written to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner asking for a zero-tolerance approach to dangerous and anti-social behaviour, and “for every appropriate power available to be used to protect our communities”.
Alec Brown, leader of Redcar & Cleveland Council, told Times Radio he has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham to thank the Government for the additional resources but asking for more. Mr Brown said: “Over the last five or 10 years, some of our estates – the most deprived in the country – were at the coal-face of austerity. Cleveland Police were slashed by up to 500 officers, and I think what we’re seeing now is them doing a heroic job in very difficult circumstances, with limited resource from what they had in previous years.”
Mr Brown said two fatal events within a few days was “unprecedented” and had left people “scared”. He said: “We’ve had nine deaths in the space of six days, starting with that horrific A66 crash. To lose nine lives with such close proximity of each other… that’s led to people feeling unsafe in their own homes.
“I get there is speculation whether there’s a gang turf war… but as you can imagine, if you were to lose nine lives in your community, on your doorstep, you would feel unsafe in your own home. I had an update with the superintendent yesterday, and she’s working 20-hour days. She said reports to the police have been unbelievable over the last week.”
The councillor also said: “I’m from an estate very much like the make-up of South Bank and Grangetown, and I know how wonderful those people are and how close they are. This is why it’s having such an impact on their mentality, because these communities are close. Everybody knows each other, so… one loss is tragic – nine is unbelievable to deal with.”
Crash and fire investigations
Councillors have revealed 200 extra police officers are being brought in to help under-pressure Cleveland Police staff. The extra officers have come from a number of forces, including the National Crime Agency, and are assisting as police continue to investigate the blaze in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough. Police have not ruled out a link between the crash and the fatal house fire.
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, died in the head-on collision with a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the A66 on Saturday at South Bank. Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Mr Cahill and Jakub Matusiak were also killed in the incident.
Police arrested 17 people after the A66 crash, which followed a police pursuit, as part of investigations into alleged organised crime. On Friday, Cleveland Police said Kai Inico, who was arrested on Monday on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, has been charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug. The force said four other people arrested by Cleveland Police on Monday have also been bailed – a 16-year-old boy and 18-year-old man arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, a 55-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, and a 23-year-old man arrested on suspicion of threats to kill. Earlier this week, two people were charged with offences and appeared in court and 10 others were bailed.
Meanwhile, two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fire which killed Natalie McDonald, 34, and seven-year-old Valentina Foster and injured four others in Grangetown. Ms McDonald’s devastated 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.”
