Cleveland Police given extra £2m to tackle serious crime around Middlesbrough

The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has announced an additional £2 million in funding for Cleveland Police to address serious crime in the area surrounding Middlesbrough. This decision follows a tragic incident where two officers, Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough, were killed on the A66. The incident occurred when a Volkswagen Passat, pursued by police, was driven the wrong way on a dual carriageway and collided with an armed response vehicle.

The five individuals who died in the crash may have been linked to "serious and organised criminal activity," according to Cleveland Police.

The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, paid tribute to the fallen officers, expressing condolences to their families and friends. He also mentioned that he and the House would support the Middlesbrough community as they grieved. In response to the incident, around 200 officers from outside Cleveland Police have been deployed to assist in tackling organized crime.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, criticized the funding allocation as "wholly inadequate" and requested confirmation that all additional assistance requests made by Cleveland Police have been met. He also highlighted a £2.4 million funding shortfall faced by the force. In response, Mahmood emphasized that her government is increasing police funding by £2 billion since the election and pointed out that Cleveland Police has received an £18.3 million real-terms increase over two years.

Labour MP Andy McDonald from Middlesbrough and Thornaby East raised concerns about the force's high crime rate per 1,000 people and the reduction in full-time equivalent officers since 2010. He called for a long-term funding settlement and broader police system reform to ensure the force can adequately respond to local needs and respond to high levels of crime in the region.