PC Matthew Blades, 37, was one of two Cleveland Police officers who lost his life in the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly A66 crash near Middlesbrough on August 22, 2026. His family has remembered him as a devoted husband, best friend and loving father to his two young sons.

His wife described Matthew as her “beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father”, saying his boys would grow up knowing what an incredible dad he was, even though they would never see him walk through the door again.

Matthew was on duty when the marked police vehicle he was travelling in collided with a Volkswagen Pᴀssat travelling the wrong way on the A66. PC Tom Clough, the other officer in the vehicle, also lost his life.

Behind the headlines about the investigation is a family facing an unimaginable loss — two little boys who now have only memories, pH๏τographs and the stories of others to know the father they loved.

🕊️ His final shift ended in tragedy. His memory will remain with his family forever.

Source: Cleveland Police — Tribute to PC Matthew Blades