Police chief pays emotional tribute to 'brave' officers among seven killed in wrong-way collision
The police car involved in the crash had not been pursuing the VW before the crash, investigators believe
Tributes have poured in for two "brave" police officers who died in a crash that killed five other people - as footage emerged appearing to show a pursuit taking place moments leading up to the collision.
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PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough collided with their marked armed response vehicle that was going in the right direction.
The tragedy unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning and sparked a huge emergency response.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash at 3.39am in South Bank after a mandatory referral from Cleveland Police.
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In an emotional statement to reporters on Saturday, Chief Constable Victoria Fuller paid tribute to the officers and said she had visited the families of both officers.
She said: "This is an incredibly sad day for Cleveland. The loss has been felt across our communities, by our police family and by our partner agencies.
"These were brave officers protecting our communities and serving our residents who didn’t return home to their families at the end of their shift.
"My thoughts and thoughts of everybody here at Cleveland Police are with their family, friends, colleagues and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.
"Early today the Deputy Chief Constable and I visited Matthew and Tom’s families to offer our condolences, support one another and begin to come to terms with this unimaginable loss."
The families of the five people who were travelling in the VV are being supported by officers, the force said on Saturday, although they have not yet been named.
It comes after ring doorbell footage obtained by Sky News appears to show car can be seen speeding down what is thought to be Lime Road at 03:36am on Saturday morning as police vehicles follow behind with blue lights and sirens.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is investigating, said officers had spotted the Passat as a "suspicious vehicle" and began a pursuit.
Chief Constable Fuller added: "Whilst this investigation is ongoing, and out of respect for all those who have lost loved ones, I would strongly urge people to avoid speculation and respect the privacy of the families."
Residents living near the horror scene said they were awoken early in the morning by the loud sound of police cars.
Neil Hutchinson, 47, a resident, told the Daily Mail: "There were police cars tearing down the street at half past three with lights flashing and their sirens going, it woke me up.
"You could tell from the noise that they were travelling at high speed. Two cars went down the street and then a few seconds later there was a third, they were obviously going after another vehicle.
"It's a narrow street with cars parked on either side so it must have been a serious situation to be going at that speed down this road.
"We woke up this morning to the news that people have been killed. They were travelling in the direction of the A66, so it must have been part of the same incident."
Andy Burnham said he was "devastated" to hear of the deaths.
The Prime Minister wrote on X: "Devastated to hear that two police officers have lost their lives while on duty in Cleveland this morning, as well as five members of the public.
"My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of everyone involved, and with everyone at Cleveland Police.
"Thank you to the emergency services responding in incredibly difficult circumstances. I would urge people to avoid speculation at this time."
Anna Turley, MP for the Redcar constituency where the accident happened, said of the two police officers who died: "They went to work to keep people safe and they should have come home to their families.
"Their loss will be felt deeply by their loved ones, fellow officers and right across the communities they served."
The A66 remains shut in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston.
The closed section of the carriageway is bordered by large industrial units to the north and is close to the major Teesworks site.
A Section 60 order – which gives officers additional stop and search powers – is in place near the site of the crash until 7.15pm on Sunday.
It covers an area around Cargo Fleet Lane east, up to Normanby Road, along Longlands Road and the Trunk Road south to Ormesby Road.