Funeral for PC Clough killed in Middlesbrough A66 crash

The funeral for PC Tom Clough, the second police officer fatally injured in a wrong-way crash while on duty, is scheduled to be held later on Thursday. PC Clough, aged 38, lost his life on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, during the early hours of 22 August. He died alongside his colleague, PC Matthew Blades, when their marked armed police vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat. Tragically, the five young men inside the Passat also died in the collision.

Just a day earlier, PC Blades’ funeral was conducted in Hartlepool. The service saw hundreds of police officers from across the country, alongside local community members, standing in tribute along the streets. Their presence underscored the deep respect and sorrow felt by those who knew and worked with the officers.

Lauren Somerville, chair of the Cleveland Police Federation, shared that PC Clough’s partner expressed how the public’s support had given them significant strength during this difficult time. The officers had been tracking the Passat moments before the crash happened on the dual carriageway.

The police had been searching for the Passat because its cloned registration plates were detected by an automated number plate recognition camera. However, the Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed that PC Clough and PC Blades were not involved in the active pursuit at the time of the accident. The five individuals who died in the Passat were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17

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