The town has been gripped by fear in the past week as a gangland turf war caused chaos as nine lives in just five days have placed Middlesbrough in mourning and chaos
The area of Middlesbrough has been in the headlines for a variety of reasons this week – and none of them good. The town has been gripped by fear of escalation in the past week as a gangland turf war caused chaos after nine lives in just five days. But not all the incidents are linked, police have confirmed.
Fears of further violence have grown over the past 24 hours with more than 200 specialist police officers deployed to the town following a series of incidents that police have refused to rule out links to suspected organised crime.
The major police operation comes after a deadly A66 crash that killed seven people, a fatal house fire and further alleged ramming and stabbing incidents in the space of several days.
However, Cleveland Police are now not linking the fatal house fire in Grangetown which killed a seven-year-old girl and her aunt to a crash on the A66 last weekend.
Here is a round up of what’s been going on in the area:
The A66 crash
Five lads were killed in a Volkswagen Passat following a collision with a police vehicle after driving the wrong way down the A66.
Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Michael Robert Cahill and Jakub Matusiak, both 23 were in the VW as it was involved in what has been described as a high speed car chase with police – and were said to be pursuing a rival gang who had recently rammed Cole’s family home.
Two police officers, Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, died from head and neck injuries after the Passat, which was traveling the wrong way down the dual carriageway, hit their marked vehicle. PC Blades’ wife faced the heartbreaking task of identifying her husband, while PC Clough’s partner identified him, the inquest heard.
The collision happened on the A66 in South Bank in the early hours of August 22. All of those involved were declared dead at the scene.
Balloon releases
In the coming days those close to the boys decided it would be a good idea to do balloon releases to celebrate the lives of the boys.
Middlebrough was torn, it seemed, with many locals in the area furious that the boys’ lives were being celebrated when they caused the crash that killed two officers, and a range of balloon releases were planned over a number of days.
In the first few releases, teens arrived on motorbikes, wearing balaclavas and letting off smoke grandes and flares, but during one balloon release, serious disorder kicked off.
Footage and pictures on social media appeared to show cars being set alight in a field in Haswell, County Durham.
Flares were set off and masked youths on motorbikes all gathered in the area in what was described as “intimidating scenes”
Redcar MP Anna Turley said the event “put lives at risk” and left residents “frightened and angry in their own communities”, adding: “People have a right to grieve and to pay their respects – but people also have a right to feel safe in their own homes and neighbourhoods.”
Labour MP Turley, who is also a Home Office minister, called on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and Cleveland Police to use “every appropriate power to protect our communities”.
“Seeing illegal bikes and quad bikes rampaging, and fires and fireworks being set off only heightens people’s sense of fear and lawlessness,” she said.
“While I understand people are grieving and upset, we cannot allow illegal activity to be excused and unchecked.”
Residents have also described the wider impact of crime and antisocial behaviour in parts of Middlesbrough.
John McQuade, 76, said: “People are sick of the crime, the lawless way these kids carry on, the drugs, the motorbikes flying about carrying kids in balaclavas, it’s crazy.”
He added: “And there are idiots out treating the five kids in that car as heroes? They deserve no recognition. Those two police officers were out at work and they didn’t get home to their families.”
Ramming retaliation and stabbings
In the early hours of Thursday, another house was rammed, in yet more violent scenes.
On Steele Crescent, in South Bank, the garden wall and a metal fence were strewn across the grass just after 1am. Residents of Steele Crescent said the car repeatedly rammed the property’s front garden wall.
This time, only bricks and mortar were damaged and no one hurt, but police said they believe it may have been linked to organised crime links and growing fears remain that the week’s bloody violence will claim more lives.
Hours later, a man was assaulted with a bladed weapon in the Eston area, just two miles away from the fatal crash.
The new ramming happened after Cole’s family home was rammed on the night of the accident.
A local said: “His dad’s house has been rammed three, four, five times. The police were there regularly. The problems were raised with local authorities including the police.
“But it was very difficult to do anything about it because of Cole’s age and the fact that the property wasn’t a council house.
“And people are afraid to speak out in case they are targeted for retribution.
“Given what has happened, you can hardly blame them.”
House fire kills girl, 7
Natalie McDonald, 34, died alongside her seven-year-old niece, Valentina Foster, in the blaze in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Cleveland Police said the fire had also left a 48-year-old woman in a critical condition in hospital alongside another three people who suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Two men, aged 23 and 31, had been arrested on suspicion of murder and were in police custody, the force said.
Lisa Kirton, Natalie’s mother, told the BBC her daughter was “lovely, bright and bubbly” and “everybody loved her”.
She said Valentina, also known as Tina, had been spending the summer holidays with the family. “She was a cute little kid,” Kirton said. “I can’t believe it, seven years old – it’s just a disgrace.”
Two men, aged 23 and 31, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody.
Police are not linking a house fire which killed a seven-year-old girl and her aunt to a crash on the A66 last weekend which left seven people dead, including two police officers.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland, who is the head of local policing at Cleveland Police, said: “Since the tragic incident last Saturday morning in which seven people, including two of our serving police officers, Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough, sadly lost their lives, officers and staff have remained working around the clock to continue to serve the public of Cleveland.
“In the same week, we have also seen a tragic house fire on Wednesday in which two people lost their lives, which is also understandably impacting the force and our local communities. At this time, we are not linking this incident to the fatal collision on the A66.
“Our thoughts remain with all those affected by these incidents as we continue our investigations into what happened.
“Since these two horrific events, the reality of policing in Cleveland and the levels of violence suffered in our communities, has come under the spotlight on a national level.
“Brave officers face significant challenges day in day out, but I want to reassure the public that we will remain unwavering in our efforts to tackle criminals and protect our communities. Despite these challenges, calls for service to the force are being answered effectively, we are deploying to incidents, and investigating crime as we do every day.
“It’s important to acknowledge the support and additional resource we are receiving from a number of other forces in the northern region and beyond, and also from the National Crime Agency. This support not only means we can maintain our service to the public, but also continue to conduct patrols in the areas most affected and be a visible presence should anyone wish to speak to officers with any concerns.
“Lastly, I want to thank the general public. Our officers work closely with many corners of our communities on a daily basis to tackle issues in their local neighbourhoods, and whose support these past seven days has been overwhelming and very much appreciated. It has provided officers, staff and the families of the officers with great comfort.”
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