Five more arrests in Middlesbrough A66 wrong-way crash investigation

Five more people have been arrested in an investigation into a wrong-way crash on the A66 in Middlesbrough which killed seven people, including two police officers.

Cleveland Police said a 16-year-old boy and two men, 18 and 21, were arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group. A 55-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and a 23-year-old man on suspicion of making threats to kill.

Two men have also been charged, one for possession of a firearm with intent to endager life, and one with possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of criminal property.

All five of the newly arrested men remain in custody.

Twelve arrests had already been made, bringing the total to 17.

PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, died in the crash, as did Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and 17-year-old Cole Robert Worthy.

All seven were killed when a Volkswagen Passat, going the wrong way down the A66 at South Bank, hit a Cleveland Police armed response vehicle heading in the opposite direction at 03:39 BST on Saturday.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said officers had been pursuing the Passat for almost seven minutes after it was connected to earlier alleged criminal activity, but the pursuit was abandoned 10 seconds before the crash when it turned on to the dual carriageway.