Middlesbrough gang war - live: Chaos as man stabbed and home rammed after A66 crash

Police have been scrambled to multiple incidents across Teesside overnight as escalating violence linked to criminal gangs threatens to spiral out of control.

The town is gripped by fear of a gangland turf war that has claimed nine lives in five days following the death of seven people, including two police officers, in a crash on the A66 at the weekend.

Footage shared online shows a number of cars on fire in a field as balloons were released at a memorial event , thought to be for Michael Robert Cahill, 23, who died in the A66 crash.

On Wednesday, Valentina Foster, 7, and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, were killed in a house fire in Grangetown. Two men have since been arrested on suspicion of murder.

At noon on Thursday a 39-year-old man was stabbed on the Bankfields estate in Eston, only two miles from the scene of the fatal crash. Hours earlier, a house was rammed.

Around 200 police , including armed officers, have been brought in from other areas to support Cleveland Police.

The scenes of burning vehicles come after a wave of violence in Middlesbrough following the fatal A66 crash which has seen hundreds of extra police officers drafted in.

A video clip shows cars burning at the vigil for Michael Cahill, 23, who died in the A66 head-on crash that killed two police officers.

At least five vehicles were reportedly set alight at the event in a field near Haswell, County Durham.

A series of vigils and balloon releases have already been held following the deaths of the five young men.

Around 100 people gathered on Wednesday night to pay tribute to Makai, Theo and Cole, with some of those attending seen setting off flares.

A separate vigil was held for Jacob Matusiak on Monday, where orange balloons were released into the sky as crowds cheered.

People wearing face coverings were also pictured setting off coloured flares, filling the sky with thick orange, red and blue smoke.

Michael Cahill, 23, was among five travelling in a Volkswagen Passat which crashed into a marked police car while travelling the wrong way on the A66.