The two sons of Police Constable Matthew Blades, who died in a fatal A66 road crash, served as mascots for Manchester United during their Premier League match against Ipswich Town. The club paid tribute to PC Blades, a devoted fan, by having his children lead out the team onto the pitch.

PC Blades, 37, and his colleague PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, when their police vehicle collided with a Volkswagen Passat that was traveling on the wrong side of the dual carriageway. The five young occupants of the Passat also died in the incident. The crash occurred approximately 10 seconds after a police pursuit of the vehicle was called off. The Passat's occupants, identified as Theo Rae, 17, Cole Worthy, 17, Michael Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18, had prior criminal convictions and were reportedly associated with a car involved in ramming properties that same morning.

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IMAGE6 PCs Matthew Blades with his two children and a Manchester mascot

The eldest son walked out with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, while the younger son was accompanied by goalkeeper Senne Lammens. PC Blades' widow was also in attendance at the game. The tribute followed a minute's applause held the previous day at Middlesbrough's Championship match against West Brom, and a moment of respect observed at Seaton Carew FC's game against FC Hartlepool, where PC Blades had previously coached.

The region of Middlesbrough and County Durham has been experiencing a period of heightened violence, leading to unease among residents. Police are investigating whether the spate of incidents, including the fatal A66 crash, is connected to organized crime. This unrest includes a house fire that resulted in the deaths of a seven-year-old girl and her aunt, and a separate incident involving a machete attack. Authorities have made numerous arrests as part of a wider operation targeting organized crime.

IMAGE8 PC Blades, 37, was killed when his police vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough

IMAGE3 PC Tom Clough, 38, also died in the crash, which occurred around 10 seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen was called off

Cleveland's police and crime commissioner had previously sent multiple letters to the government expressing concerns about underfunding and its impact on public safety, warning of potential issues with officer availability. The Cleveland police force required assistance from officers in neighboring regions following the A66 crash.

IMAGE1 Close friends Theo Rae (left) and Cole Robert Worthy both died in the crash on Saturday

IMAGE2 Makai Saddington, one of the five killed in the Volkswagen, posted videos on TikTok of him being chased by police and was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officers

IMAGE7 Jakub Matusiak, another occupant of the car which hit the officers, also posted videos of himself driving recklessly

IMAGE5 Michael Robert Cahill was one of the five in the VW Passat