All we know about A66 crash that killed seven as police officers who died in pursuit are named

Seven people have died, including two police officers, in a “devastating” car crash following a chase in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The two officers have been named as PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, Cleveland police chief constable Victoria Fuller said at a press conference.

The incident occurred when a car travelling the wrong way down the A66 collided with a police vehicle on the same road going in the right direction, Cleveland Police said.

Five members of the public travelling in the Volkswagen Passat were pronounced dead but have yet to be named.

The police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it has launched an investigation into the fatal crash.

Cleveland Police launched a pursuit after spotting a Volkswagen Passat which was acting “suspiciously”, the force said in the aftermath of the fatal crash.

Officers began following the car in South Bank, near Middlesbrough in Teesside before it joined the A66 in the wrong direction and collided with an oncoming police armed response unit at 3.39am. No-one survived the collision.

Fourteen ambulance crews rushed to the scene, including emergency ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a Hazardous Area Response Team and a doctor from Great North Air Ambulance Service. Despite their best efforts, all the occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

Doorbell footage from nearby Lime Road appears to show multiple police vehicles chasing a car at speed moments before Saturday's fatal crash.

The footage was filmed at 3:36am - three minutes before the Passat collided with the marked police vehicle. However the armed response vehicle, which was travelling in the right direction on the A66, is understood not to have been part of the pursuit.

The A66 was closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston as a result of the smash as investigators examined the wreckage. A large white tent was erected over the scene, with multiple emergency service vehicles around.

The closed section of the A66 is bordered by large industrial units to the north and is close to the major Teesworks site.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), confirmed they had launched an investigation into the “tragic incident” following a mandatory referral from the local force.

Nicola Marfleet, IOPC director of investigations, said: “When someone dies following police contact, it is mandatory that the matter is referred to the IOPC. Our role is to establish and examine the circumstances of what happened; this work is already underway, and Cleveland Police is cooperating with our enquiries.”