Twelve people have been arrested as part of a wide-ranging investigation into alleged criminal activity in the hours before the A66 crash which killed seven people, including two serving police officers. Cleveland Police said detectives are investigating events leading up to the fatal collision on Saturday, 22 August, which claimed the lives of PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, along with five occupants of a Volkswagen Passat. Police said they received several reports that morning of two vehicles being driven dangerously. One, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was reportedly seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. A second vehicle, the Volkswagen Passat subsequently involved in the fatal collision, is believed by investigators to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo. Police said both vehicles were displaying cloned number plates in an attempt to avoid detection, but were identified by the force’s automatic number plate recognition technology. The Volvo has since been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough as part of the criminal investigation.

Twelve arrests across Teesside

Cleveland Police, supported by officers and staff from Durham, Northumbria and North Yorkshire Police, worked throughout the weekend to establish what happened before the fatal crash. Those enquiries have resulted in the arrests of nine men and three women, aged between 18 and 61, across Teesside. The arrests include:

• Two men, aged 24 and 19, arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon.
• A 30-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
• A 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon.
• A 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage. He has been recalled to prison.
• A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage and a public order offence.
• A 61-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate and subsequently released on conditional bail.
• A 47-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man and a 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of firearms and drug offences. The woman and 39-year-old man were released on conditional bail, while the 18-year-old was released on unconditional bail.
• A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and subsequently released on conditional bail.
• A 26-year-old man from Micklow Close, Redcar, who has been charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of criminal property.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Police address TikTok claims

Cleveland Police have also addressed speculation surrounding social media footage following the tragedy. The force said:

“At the current time, there is no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities that took place on Friday night and Saturday morning has taken place for the purposes of TikTok.”

Police also confirmed that four occupants of the Passat had previous police convictions. The latest statement significantly broadens the investigation beyond the circumstances of the collision itself, with detectives now examining alleged criminal activity involving the two vehicles before the crash. PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough were killed while on duty, and investigations into both the fatal collision and the events preceding it are continuing.

Originally published by UKNIP.