Twelve people aged between 19 and 61 arrested in connection with deadly A66 crash
Pc Clough died alongside Pc Matthew Blades, 37, when a Volkswagen Passat being driven on the wrong side of a dual carriageway collided with their vehicle
Twelve people aged between 19 and 61 have been arrested in connection with a deadly car crash on the A66 which killed seven people on Saturday.
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The arrests - of nine men and three women - have been made by officers investigating the events leading up to the crash on the A66 which left Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough dead, Cleveland Police said.
The offences range from possession of a firearm to participating in the activities of an organised crime group, according to cops.
Cole Robert Worthy and Theo Rae, both 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak were pronounced dead at the scene.
Their vehicle, a VW Passat, was driving the wrong way down the A66 and hit a Cleveland Police vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough on Saturday.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, of Cleveland Police were also killed in the collision and had been driving in the correct direction.
The arrests come after Cleveland Police launched a wide-ranging investigation over the weekend into the criminality which led up to the fatal crash.
The force received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously on the morning of Saturday 22 August.
The first vehicle, which is believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed to be ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area.
The second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo XC60.
Four of the occupants of the Passat had previous police convictions.
Both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates to avoid detection but were picked up by the Force’s automated number plate recognition technology.
Police said there was "no evidence" indicating that the activities on Friday night and Saturday morning were filmed for TikTok.
LBC has uncovered social media clips posted by accounts linked to the crash victims featuring apparent drug-use behind the wheel, reckless driving and dangerous manoeuvres to evade police on the roads.
The social media accounts suggest the suspected-joyriders were engaged with a community of young men obsessed with taking risks in motor vehicles.
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.
“The events of that tragic night will have a lasting and profound impact on the Cleveland area and the communities we seek to protect.
"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.
“Our robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come, as we continue to tackle those that seek to cause harm to our communities and tackle serious and organised crime.
“Officers and staff across Cleveland have shown incredible resilience in continuing their work in the face of tragedy.
“Two of their colleagues lost their lives while serving the people of Cleveland and, while the impact will be felt by our people for a long time to come, they have continued to act with the upmost professionalism.
“I am also extremely grateful for the support we have received, and continue to receive, from the public of Cleveland and our wider police family.”
In a heartbreaking tribute, Pc Clough's family said that he had “proudly fought for his country” and had been “always on public duty throughout his short life”.
They hailed him as a "hero with a fantastic sense of humour", adding: "We as a family and Tom's partner would like to express our sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support and condolences from friends, colleagues and the wider community."
Meanwhile, the wife of Pc Blades has said the pain of losing him is "beyond words".
In an emotional statement to reporters on Saturday, Chief Constable of Cleveland Police 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."