The funeral of PC Matthew Blades unfolded in Hartlepool as one of the most striking public displays of police solidarity seen in the North East in years. The 37-year-old armed response officer, a married father of two and a dedicated youth football coach, was killed in the early hours of 22 August when a Volkswagen Pᴀssat travelling the wrong way along the A66 at South Bank near Middlesbrough smashed head-on into the marked Cleveland Police vehicle he shared with colleague PC Tom Clough. Five young men in the other car also died. On 9 September, standard bearers from every force in the United Kingdom lowered their flags as the hearse, led by a police motorcycle outrider and topped with a simple white-and-red floral tribute spelling “Dad”, approached St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church. Hundreds of officers in dress uniform stood shoulder to shoulder along Hutton Avenue, many wearing black armbands embroidered with the names and collar numbers of both fallen colleagues.

Four mounted officers stood guard while bagpipers and a drummer played Amazing Grace as pallbearers carried the Union Flag-draped coffin inside. Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller greeted mourners at the church door. Policing minister Sarah Jones and Home Office minister Anna Turley attended. Prime Minister Andy Burnham sent sympathies from the Commons and thanked serving officers for their work keeping communities safe. Family members later described the day as unbearably difficult yet unforgettable because of the scale of respect shown. They spoke of Blades as the heart of the family, the man whose laughter and silly jokes could light up a room even on the hardest days, and whose absence has left life feeling unbearably quiet. A former soldier among the public crowd said the turnout proved people understood how hard the job is and that these officers did not deserve what happened.

Over £1.2 million had already been raised for the two families through a public appeal that drew donations from as far as Australia, France and the United States. The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle offered prayers for comfort and strength. Officers hugged one another in the street before the service began, some visibly struggling to contain emotion. The ceremony was a full police ceremonial funeral complete with idenтιтy patches, lowered standards and a guard of honour that stretched the length of the road. Blades had taught English before joining the force and coached at Seaton Carew Football Club in his spare time. Colleagues remembered a professional who put the public first.

The crash remains under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which confirmed the two officers had been looking for the Pᴀssat after its cloned plates triggered an ANPR camera but were not themselves involved in the aborted pursuit that preceded the collision. The streets of Hartlepool fell quiet that morning except for the sound of pipes and the slow roll of the hearse. Those who stood there said the silence itself felt like a tribute.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pc-matthew-blades-funeral-a66-crash-police-middlesbrough-b3047302.html