The Prime Minister has said people who share footage glorifying dangerous driving are “doing something that’s truly reprehensible” after two police officers and five others were killed in a crash near Middlesbrough.
Sir Keir Starmer made the comments on Monday during a visit to Kyiv as the Government urged TikTok and other social media firms to remove wrong-way driving videos.
The move comes as court records show one of the men killed in the A66 crash was convicted of crimes against police officers.
Government pressures social media platforms
Earlier, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The glorification of dangerous driving for clips and entertainment is utterly disgraceful and that is why we have raised the issue of this appalling content with social media companies since the tragedy, and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy) is clear that it should be removed in line with their legal obligations.”
She added that Ofcom has the Government’s “full backing to take tough action” against platforms which fail in their legal duties.
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat – which had been pursued by police – was driven the wrong way along a dual carriageway and hit their marked armed response vehicle.
Victims and court records
Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak were also pronounced dead at the scene in Teesside early on Saturday.
Court records show that Saddington pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer and indicated a guilty plea to causing racially aggravated alarm or distress to another officer in Middlesbrough on June 9, an HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) spokesperson said.
He entered his pleas at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on July 17 and was handed a 12-month conditional discharge.
The HMCTS spokesperson also said that on April 1, Saddington appeared before the same court where he admitted three counts of assaulting Pc John Walker in Middlesbrough on October 11 2025.
He was made to pay a total of £240 in court costs and carry out rehabilitation requirements.
Tributes and calls for action
Flowers and cards have been left at the entrance to Cleveland Police’s Roads Policing Unit at Wynyard Park.
One message in a framed force badge read: “Tommy, Bladesy, you will be remembered as two of the very best.
“I’m proud of you both and you’ll be forever missed.
“I don’t have the words to describe the loss we all feel.
“Genuine real-life heroes.”
Another message read: “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
Meanwhile, defence minister Luke Pollard said social media platforms should act to remove posts of that nature.
Asked about videos being shared on TikTok, Snapchat and other forums, he told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We’ve communicated to those social media platforms that have been hosting content that celebrates this type of dangerous behaviour on our roads to take down that content.
“I think we all need to give the police time, but there’s also things we can be doing in the meantime to make sure that the internet is a safer place for everyone, that doesn’t celebrate and load views and therefore financial incentives on people to generate such awful content.”
Mr Pollard added: “I want to see social media companies step up.
“It’s one of the reasons they’ve argued against some of the regulations, saying they can police themselves. Well this is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate it. Remove the content that celebrates dangerous behaviour on our roads.
“While that content is online, the Government will be using the powers in the Online Safety Act to compel the platforms to take it down.
“But if the social media platforms were to regulate themselves and remove it in the first place, not allow their algorithm to share this type of content, because they know exactly what type of content that algorithm is designed to share, then I think we’d be in a better place.”
TikTok has declined to give a statement in response, but said its policies strictly prohibit content that could cause significant physical harm, including dangerous driving, and that it is actively removing any videos and accounts that break its rules.
Cleveland police and crime commissioner Matt Storey acknowledged the reports about the TikTok videos, but urged people to avoid speculation.
Investigation and tributes
Online safety regulator Ofcom said: “Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must minimise children’s exposure to violent material and content promoting dangerous challenges.
“In July, we launched an investigation into TikTok’s compliance with its child safety duties, and we’ve shown we’ll take action if evidence suggests companies are falling short.”
A fundraiser created by the Cleveland Police Federation for the families of the officers had reached more than £400,000 on Monday morning in the wake of the crash early on Saturday.
Cleveland Police launched the chase after receiving intelligence relating to “numerous incidents” linked to a Passat, which activated an ANPR camera and is believed to have been using cloned plates, investigating watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.
Pc Blades and Pc Clough were not involved in the original pursuit, but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat.
Family members described former Civil Nuclear Constabulary officer Pc Clough as “our hero” who was “always on public duty”.
In a statement issued by Cleveland Police, Pc Blades’ wife called him “my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys”.
She said he was “an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle”.
Pc Clough’s commanding officer from his time serving with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in Sellafield paid tribute to him as the “epitome of professionalism” who also had a “fun-loving, cheeky nature”.
Tributes for the five young men were also shared on social media, with many of their friends saying they “can’t believe it” and were “heartbroken” and “lost for words”.
The Passat they were travelling in was spotted and an armed response vehicle pursued for just under seven minutes before the car drove on to the A66 in South Bank against the flow of traffic.
Police aborted the chase and continued to travel on the correct side of the carriageway.
The Passat crashed into Pc Blades and Pc Clough’s vehicle around 10 seconds after the chase ended.
