Residents need to feel safe after deadly crash and fire near Middlesbrough, council leader says

Residents of a town where nine people have tragically lost their lives in a recent car crash and house fire deserve to feel secure in their homes, according to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council leader Alec Brown. The council leader made this statement following the deaths of seven individuals, including two police officers, in a wrong-way crash at South Bank on Saturday and a house fire in Grangetown on Wednesday that claimed the lives of a 34-year-old woman and her seven-year-old niece.

Brown convened an urgent meeting on Friday involving councillors, police officers, and social housing providers. He expressed concern that some residents from Middlesbrough and Redcar may feel overlooked, acknowledging their possible struggles with poverty and social issues. Brown assured the people of Grangetown and South Bank that they are as important to him as residents from any other area in the borough and that his team is working diligently to ensure their safety.

Labour MPs Anna Turley, Luke Myer, Andy McDonald, Jonathan Brash, and Chris McDonald released a joint statement, welcoming the assistance provided by other police forces during the past week but calling for continued long-term support for officers in the area. They emphasized that local residents have been expressing safety concerns for far too long.

PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died on Saturday when a Volkswagen Passat, traveling in the wrong direction on the A66 at South Bank, collided with their vehicle, along with the five occupants of the other car. Seventeen people, aged between 18 and 61, have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the lead-up to the crash, accused of offenses including firearm possession and association with an organized crime group.

Cleveland Police arrested two men on suspicion of murder and they are currently in custody. The force stated it remains open to potential links with wider organized crime.