Britain09 September, 20263 min read
Hundreds Attend Funeral Of PC Matthew Blades After A66 Crash Near Middlesbrough
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Hundreds attended the funeral for PC Matthew Blades, 37, killed on the A66 near Middlesbrough. PC Tom Clough, 38, died in the same crash.
A66 crash funeral
Hundreds of police officers gathered at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hartlepool for the funeral of PC Matthew Blades, 37, who died with his colleague PC Tom Clough, 38, after a Volkswagen Passat collided with their marked armed response car on the A66 at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, on 22 August. The BBC said the funeral included a full ceremonial police service, with officers from Cleveland and forces across the country lining the street in a guard of honour, and it reported that PC Blades’ coffin was wrapped in a union flag as Amazing Grace was played by pipers. The BBC also reported that the crash killed five young men as well, naming Cole Worthy and Theo Rae, both 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Cahill and Jakub Matusiak.
In the lead-up to the collision, the BBC said officers had been pursuing the Passat for almost seven minutes after it was connected to earlier alleged criminal activity, but the pursuit was abandoned 10 seconds before the collision when it turned onto the dual carriageway. The BBC added that PC Blades and PC Clough were in a vehicle looking for the Passat after its cloned registration plates triggered an automated number plate recognition camera, although they were not involved in the pursuit, according to the IOPC.
Mourners and ministers
Speaking on behalf of his family, Cleveland Police Federation chair Lauren Somerville told mourners that "life feels unbearably quiet" without PC Blades’ "silly jokes" and laughter. The BBC reported that Cleveland Police chief constable Victoria Fuller greeted mourners at the entrance to the church, and it said policing minister Sarah Jones and Home Office minister Anna Turley attended the service. The Daily Express described the same funeral at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hartlepool, saying standard bearers represented every UK force for PC Matthew Blades, 37, and it said he was killed with PC Tom Clough, 38, in the collision at South Bank, near Middlesbrough.
The Daily Express also said some officers lining Hutton Avenue wore identity patches "PC 2443 BLADES" and "PC 3234 CLOUGH" on their uniforms. The Daily Express further reported that four pipers and a drummer processed in front of the funeral car and played Amazing Grace as the coffin, covered with a Union Flag, was brought in.
Aftermath and accountability
The BBC said Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute in the Commons, telling the House: "I also want to send our sympathies to the hundreds of people who will gather today at the funeral of PC Matthew Blades". The BBC also reported that Somerville said flowers had been delivered to the force’s stations and that people from Australia, France and America had been in touch, adding: "The support has been overwhelming and it's been comforting." The Daily Mail reported that during PC Blades’ funeral at Teesside Crematorium, police received reports of a "disturbance" and officers were called to the scene, after which a 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault before the service resumed.
The Daily Mail placed the crash in the context of weeks of unrest in north-east England, contrasting the funeral with earlier memorial events for the five young men who died in the crash, including a memorial service to Michael Cahill, 23, where five vehicles were set alight in Haswell, County Durham. The BBC concluded by noting that Ms Fuller had previously said PC Blades and PC Clough were "brave, committed, professional people who put the public before themselves".