(Image: FACEBOOK / X)
A man has been arrested after an incident at a Middlesbrough match where a Wolves fan appeared to make light of the A66 crash tragedy.
Police were made aware of “alarming and distressing behaviour” in a viral video online taken during Boro’s 150th anniversary fixture at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday (October 10).
The footage, which has been shared across social media, shows a Wolves fan holding up a phone at home fans with text on the screen reading: “Police killed your own”.
The message appeared to make light of the tragic A66 crash at South Bank on August 22, which took the lives of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough as well as five others.
Cleveland Police has today (October 12) confirmed that a 20-year-old man, from Walsall in the West Midlands, has been arrested on suspicion of a Section 4a Public Order Offence.
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38 (Image: CLEVELAND POLICE)
Middlesbrough and Thornaby East MP Andy McDonald welcomed the police action, branding the footage as "shocking, provocative, and deeply offensive".
Cleveland Police’s Dedicated Football Officer (DFO), PC Chris Hilton, said: “Working closely with West Midlands Police, we were quickly able to identify and arrest a suspect in connection with an incident involving footage of potentially alarming and distressing behaviour captured during the match on Saturday.
“We began the investigation into this incident immediately after we were made aware of this footage following the match.
The pre-match scene in the Riverside Stadium's South Stand ahead of the Anniversary game against Wolves (Image: Tom Banks)
“We will always deal with incidents of this nature quickly and robustly to make sure the message is loud and clear that anyone attending a football match should be able to do so in a safe and enjoyable environment.
“We will take enforcement action and investigate anyone suspected of trying to cause disruption.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the majority of fans who turned out on Saturday at the Riverside Stadium whose sole aim was to enjoy the match with fellow football fans.”
The South Bank crash took place at 3.39am on August 22 when a Volkswagen, driving on the wrong side of the road, collided head-on with another marked police car, which was on the correct carriageway.
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It followed an earlier police chase, which was abandoned 17 seconds before the crash.
The five people in the Passat - Michael Cahill, Theo Rae, Cole Worthy, Jakub Matusiak and Makai Saddington - all died.
An Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation remains ongoing but ruled out police contact with the VW prior to the crash.
Both football clubs have been contacted for comment.