Man arrested over ‘assault’ at funeral of A66 crash victim

Man arrested over ‘assault’ at funeral of A66 crash victim Police officers were in the area to provide reassurance - Bookmark A 39-year-old man has been arrested at the funeral held for one of the five young men who were killed in a head-on collision with police on the A66, which also killed two armed officers. The Teesside Crematorium service for 17-year-old Cole Worthy was disrupted and police responded to reports of a disturbance inside. Following the crash which killed seven people, it emerged that a property in a quiet street in Acklam, Middlesbrough, linked to the teenager had been rammed, causing extensive damage. On Wednesday, Cleveland Police confirmed the arrest at the funeral. Superintendent John Wrintmore said: “At around 12.30pm on Wednesday September 9, police swiftly attended to Teesside Crematorium following reports of a disturbance during a service taking place inside. “A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and has been taken to police custody. “The service has since resumed. “Officers will be in the area to provide reassurance.” The funeral was on the same day as that of Pc Matthew Blades, 37, which took place in Hartlepool. He was an armed response officer in a marked police car which was hit head-on by a VW Passat in the early hours of 22 August. His colleague Pc Tom Clough, 38, also died at the scene. Schools closed early for the previous funerals of some of the other young men in the Passat, sparking a political row, but they remained open during the ceremony for Mr Worthy. Cleveland Police previously said the men in the Passat may have had links to organised crime.