UK government allocates £2m to Cleveland Police after A66 crash and organised crime surge
On 1 September 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced an additional £2m for Cleveland Police to tackle serious crime, following the deaths of two police officers and five men in a head-on crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough on 22 August. The force has arrested 27 people linked to serious and organised crime since the crash, and about 200 officers from outside forces have been drafted in. The funding was criticised as inadequate by Conservative MP Chris Philp and Cleveland's PCC Matt Storey, who called for at least £20m annually to address chronic underfunding. Mahmood committed to reviewing the police funding formula.
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What we know
Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, were killed in a head-on crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough on 22 August.
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About 200 police officers from outside forces have been drafted in to help Cleveland Police.
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Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey said the one-off payment is not a solution and called for at least £20m annually.
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced an additional £2m for Cleveland Police to tackle serious crime.
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Conservative MP Chris Philp called the £2m 'wholly inadequate'.
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Mahmood committed to reviewing the police funding formula.
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The UK Home Secretary announced £2m extra funding for Cleveland Police following the deaths of two officers and five men in a wrong-way crash on the A66, amid a spike in serious and organised crime.
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