Branch support for Cleveland colleagues

24 August 2026

The thoughts of everyone at West Midlands Police Federation are with the families, friends and colleagues of the two Cleveland PCs who were killed in a car crash over the weekend.

PC Matt Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died in an horrific incident on the A66 near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“The news about this incident has caused shockwaves throughout the police service and also within the communities we serve,” says Jess Davies, chair of West Midlands Police Federation.

“Our hearts go out to the families of these two officers but also to their friends, their colleagues and the other emergency service workers who were called out to the scene of this crash.

“PC Blades and PC Clough left their loved ones to go to start their shift and serve the public. It is absolutely tragic that they never made it home at the end of that shift.”

A GoFundMe appeal has been set up to raise funds to the families of the two officers. Support the fundraising.