Shabana Mahmood unveils £2million to assist police coping with Middlesbrough organised crime
Local leaders over the weekend said cuts to police have put officers under huge strain as they grapple with suspected gangland violence and disorder in Middlesbrough
Around 200 police officers from outside Cleveland Police have been drafted in to help the force tackle organised crime(Image: Getty Images)
Shabana Mahmood has announced a £2million boost for Cleveland Police to tackle serious crime in the area.
Local leaders over the weekend said cuts to police have put officers under huge strain as they grapple with suspected gangland violence and disorder in Middlesbrough. Tensions erupted on Teesside last week in the aftermath of the fatal car crash on the A66, which claimed the lives of seven people.
As of Monday, Cleveland Police had arrested 27 people as part of their investigations since the horrific collision on August 22. Around 200 police officers from outside the force have been drafted in to help the force tackle organised crime.
In a statement to the Commons, Ms Mahmood said: “Clearly, the events of recent days have placed exceptional pressure on Cleveland police, and I can confirm today that the force has received additional resource under mutual aid arrangements, which has seen officers deployed to Cleveland from around the region, I would like to thank those forces and personnel who have stepped up and taken on this additional work.
“I can also announce today that, in light of the situation the forces face, we will allocate an additional £2million to Cleveland Police to tackle serious crime in the area. This will build on existing operations, including the Clear, Hold, Build approach, which is both tough on serious crime and on the causes of serious crime, and has been shown to work across the country.”
PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, were killed when their marked response vehicle was hit by a Volkswagen Passat heading the wrong way down the dual carriageway.
Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Cahill and Jakub Matusiak were in the Passat and were also killed in the crash. Four of the five had criminal records and police have said there may be links to “serious and organised criminal activity”.
In a tribute to the killed police officers in the Commons, Ms Mahmood said: “PC Blades and PC Clough devoted their lives to the noblest form of public service, protecting their fellow citizens. In remembering them, we hold in our hearts those they leave behind, above all their family and all those who love them.”
Disorder in the area since the fatal crash has since triggered calls for more funding. Five Labour Teesside MPs – Andy McDonald, Chris McDonald (Stockton North), Luke Myer (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland), Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) and Anna Turley (Redcar) – called for more funding to address the pressures being felt locally.
Last year Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey claimed the force was facing a £2.4million shortfall in this financial year. He branded the funding farcical, pointing out that Cleveland has the highest number of crimes per 1,000 population anywhere in England and Wales.
Analysis of Home Office figures shows it recorded a rate of 123.4 crimes per 1,000 people in the year to March 2026 – well above next-highest West Yorkshire Police on 107.9 and the Met on 101. A third of neighbourhoods in the area the force covers are in the top 10% most deprived areas – the highest level in England.
Money is allocated to forces using the police allocation formula (PAF). This takes into account factors including population density and the type of crime that forces most commonly deal with.
It is not based on how much cash each force says it needs – instead it divides up a national pot based on their relative needs. But inevitably this means many chief inspectors believe their area is not being treated fairly.
In her statement, Ms Mahmood added to MPs: “In addition, as I have said before, we are committed to a wider review of the police funding formula to ensure force funding is fair and keeps the public safe. A new approach to allocating funding will be brought in as part of our reforms to police structures.”
