Reform UK spokesman Zia Yusuf has criticised political leaders for making police officers' lives a "living hell" after a fatal crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough killed two police officers and five others.
Mr Yusuf took to social media site X following the crash, which happened at around 3.30am on Saturday. Cleveland Police officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, a father of two, and former soldier PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat, which had been pursued by police, was driven the wrong way along the dual-carriageway and hit their marked armed response vehicle.
Five civilians killed in crash
The five people in the Passat – Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak – were pronounced dead at the scene. Police have said all five civilians in the collision may have had links to "serious and organised criminal activity".
Investigators had initially arrested 12 people in connection with their probe into the crash. On Tuesday, Cleveland Police said it had arrested a further five people with the help of the National Crime Agency.
Yusuf: '37 prior convictions between them'
Speaking after the deaths of the two police officers, Mr Yusuf said: "I have to point out, however, that 4 of the 5 people in the car driving the wrong way down the A66 - the car that killed the two police officers - had prior criminal convictions.
"In fact, they had 37 prior convictions between them. For drugs offences, stealing cars, racial abuse, assaulting police officers, and knife possession. It’s not clear that any has served a single day in prison."
Mr Yusuf paid tribute to the "loved husband and father to two young boys" PC Blades and "hero" former soldier PC Clough. He continued: "I for one am angry. Angry at the gangsters, and yes also their minions, who terrorise the rest of us and get away with it.
"And angry at our leaders for failing us, and making our police officers’ lives a living hell. I promise you this. Reform UK will end this carnage. We will restore law and order in this country."
Investigation and fundraising response
Inquests were due to open on Thursday morning for the two officers, with hearings for the young men in the Passat scheduled for the afternoon at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
Cleveland Police has previously said that on the morning of the collision, it received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously. The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. The second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo.
Police said both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology. The Volvo XC60 involved in the initial reports has been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough. Police said there was no evidence that filming of the activities on Friday night and Saturday morning was "for the purposes of TikTok".
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, responsible for the strategic leadership of the investigation, said: "This has been a fast-moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity." He went on to say: "We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice."
More than £870,000 has been raised for the families of the two police officers who were killed. A fundraiser created by the Cleveland Police Federation said funds raised would be split equally between the two officers’ families and the federation would continue to provide support.
