Hundreds of police officers are gathering in Hartlepool today to pay their final respects to PC Matthew Blades, who was killed alongside a colleague in the devastating A66 collision near Middlesbrough.
PC Blades, 37, died alongside PC Tom Clough, 38, when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the dual carriageway collided with their marked police vehicle in the early hours of August 22.
Officers from Cleveland Police and forces across the UK are expected to line the streets and stand shoulder to shoulder as PC Blades is given what colleagues have described as a proud and dignified farewell.
PC Clough will be honoured at a separate funeral tomorrow.
Cleveland Police Federation chair Lauren Somerville said PC Blades, known as Matty, was a married father-of-two whose devastated family had described him as “the heart of the family”.
She said the response from the public had provided comfort during an unimaginably difficult period.
A fundraising appeal for the families of the two officers has reached around £1.2 million, while messages of support have been received from across the UK and overseas.
Five people travelling in the Passat also died in the collision – Michael Cahill and Jakub Matusiak, both 23, Makai Saddington, 18, and 17-year-olds Cole Worthy and Theo Rae.
Police have said the Passat entered the A66 against the flow of traffic while being pursued by officers. The pursuit was abandoned when the vehicle entered the dual carriageway, before it collided with the police vehicle shortly afterwards.
The fatal crash came amid a wider series of incidents and tensions in Middlesbrough.
In the aftermath, Cleveland Police mounted a major operation involving an additional 200 specialist officers drawn from six northern forces.
Police made 24 arrests during the days that followed as officers responded to disorder and other incidents across the area.
Today’s funeral will see the policing community come together with PC Blades’ family and friends to remember the officer, husband, father and football coach.
PC Clough’s funeral will take place on Thursday as Cleveland Police continues to mourn the loss of both officers.
