UK's Burnham says glorifying dangerous driving on social media is 'reprehensible'

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham condemned on Monday the glorification of dangerous driving on social media as "truly reprehensible." His government has urged tech companies to remove videos following a tragic car crash over the weekend that claimed seven lives in northeast England. The crash occurred when a vehicle was driven the wrong way down a major road, colliding with a police armed response vehicle, killing all five occupants of the car and two police officers. Four of the five individuals in the crashed car had prior convictions.

The police have arrested 12 people in connection with organized criminal activity linked to the incident. They have also identified four of the five occupants of the crashed vehicle as having prior convictions. While the police stated there was currently no evidence that the crash was filmed on TikTok for social media likes, Burnham emphasized the need for action against glorifying dangerous driving.

The government has been in contact with social media companies since the tragedy, urging them to remove such videos. Police noted that they had received reports of dangerous driving before the crash, including a vehicle seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area with cloned number plates to evade detection. Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have been arrested on suspicion of various offenses, ranging from firearm possession to involvement in organized crime.

Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox stated that this investigation is complex and has significant links to serious and organized criminal activity.