The funeral of Cleveland Police officer PC Matthew Blades, who died in the A66 crash near Middlesbrough last month, is being held in Hartlepool today.
PC Blades, 37, and his colleague PC Tom Clough died after their police vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat travelling in the wrong direction on the A66 in the early hours of August 22.
A father of two, PC Blades was a respected police officer and football coach who was involved with two junior clubs in Hartlepool.
Family, friends, colleagues and members of the wider community are expected to pay their respects as he is laid to rest today.
Ahead of the funeral, Cleveland Police Federation chairwoman Lauren Somerville said the response from the public following the deaths of the two officers had been “overwhelming”.
More than £1.2 million has been raised for their families, while messages of support have arrived from across the world, including Australia, France and the United States.
Flowers have also been delivered to police stations as communities continue to pay tribute.
Speaking about PC Blades and the devastating impact of his death, Somerville said: “Matthew was a best friend, husband, father, a brother and a son, and his family have said the words are not powerful enough to describe how they feel right now.
“He has been described as the heart of the family, and he will be remembered beyond words today, tomorrow, and always.”
His family said they would miss everything about him, including his laughter and “silly jokes” which could make people smile when they least expected it.
Somerville added: “He’s been described as bringing light and laughter into every room and now life feels unbearably quiet without him.”
PC Blades and PC Clough were among seven people who died in the A66 Collision on August 22.
