A66 crash: Police officers among seven killed as 12 arrested in organised crime probe

Twelve people have been arrested in an investigation into criminal activity before a crash which killed seven, including two police officers.

On the morning of Saturday (Aug 22), Cleveland Police 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.

A second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo XC60.

Both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates to avoid detection but were picked up by Cleveland Police's automated number plate recognition technology.

A fatal crash subsequently claimed the lives of seven people, including PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.

Flowers left near to the scene on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough following a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen Passat in which seven people died, including two police officers, following a police pursuit in the early hours of Saturday morning. Richard McCarthy/PA Wire

Cleveland Police has since launched a wide-scale investigation into the criminality which took place before the fatal crash.

The Volvo XC60 involved in the initial reports has been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough as part of the criminal investigation.

Throughout the weekend, Cleveland Police was supported by officers and staff from Durham, Northumbria and North Yorkshire Police as enquiries continued into the circumstances which led to the fatal crash.

Those enquiries resulted in the arrests of 12 people across Teesside.

Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61 have been arrested on suspicion of several offences including:

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon and is currently in police custody
A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon and is currently in police custody
A 30-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and is in police custody
A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon and is in police custody
A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage. He has been remanded on recall to prison
A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage and public order and is in police custody
A 61-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate and has been released on conditional bail
A 47-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of class C drugs and has been released on conditional bail
A 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of class C drugs and has been released on unconditional bail
A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of class C drugs and has been released on conditional bail
A 26-year-old man, of Micklow Close in Redcar, has been charged with possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of criminal property
A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and has been released on conditional bail

Four of the occupants of the Passat had previous police convictions.

Police said there is currently no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities which took place on Friday night and Saturday morning was carried out 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.

A fatal crash subsequently claimed the lives of seven people, including PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough

“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.”