Five more arrests in fatal A66 crash investigation

Five more people have been arrested in an investigation into a wrong-way crash on the A66 in Middlesbrough which killed seven people, including two police officers.

Cleveland Police said a 16-year-old boy and two men, 18 and 21, were arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group. A 55-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and a 23-year-old man on suspicion of making threats to kill.

Two men have also been charged, one for possession of a firearm with intent to endager life, and one with possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of criminal property.

All five of the newly arrested men remain in custody.

Twelve arrests had already been made, bringing the total to 17.

PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, died in the crash, as did Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and 17-year-old Cole Robert Worthy.

All seven were killed when a Volkswagen Passat, going the wrong way down the A66 at South Bank, hit a Cleveland Police armed response vehicle heading in the opposite direction at 03:39 BST on Saturday.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct 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 crash when it turned on to the dual carriageway.

On Monday, the force said it received several reports of two vehicles "being driven dangerously" on Saturday morning.

The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was seen "ramming properties" in the Middlesbrough area while the second vehicle, a Passat, is believed to have been associated with this activity.

Both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology.

Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, were arrested across Teesside on Monday over suspicion of a range of offences, including possession of a firearm and being part of an organised crime group.

Two men, have since been charged as part of the investigation.

Those previously arrested as part of the investigation are:

• Three men, aged 24, 19 and 35, all held on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and possession of an offensive weapon. They are in police custody.
• A man, 21, held 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 30-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and who is in police custody
• A 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage and public order. He remains in custody
• A 26-year-old man was charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs, as well as the possession of criminal property. He was remanded in custody ahead of his next court hearing
• Another man, 39, and a 47-year-old woman have been released on conditional bail after both being 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
• An 18-year-old man has been released on unconditional bail after being 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
• A 61-year-old woman has been released on conditional bail after being arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate
• A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and has been released on conditional bail

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