Outrage at 'disrespectful' balaclava-clad youths setting off flares and releasing balloons in tribute to dead A66 'joyriders' who killed two police officers

Balaclava-clad youths have sparked anger after setting off flares and fireworks in a noisy tribute to the 'joyriders' who killed two police officers on the A66. The chaos last night came in stark contrast to a silent prayer vigil hosted in a nearby church to honour PC Tom Clough and PC Matthew Blades, who were also tragically killed in the crash.Friends and family of Jakub Matusiak, 23, decided to gather at a field in South Bank, Middlesbrough, just yards from the scene of Saturday's catastrophic collision - caused by the gang hurtling the wrong way down the dual carriageway. What began as a balloon release descended into a confusion of smoke and noise when attendees lit up the sky with flares and rockets.A gang of around 20 masked youths on motorbikes and quad bikes roared around the field in honour of Matusiak, who himself had convictions for motoring offences.Footage showed dozens of flares being held aloft, filling the field with dense orange fog, as bikes revved their engines and blared their horns.The scenes sparked anger, with onlookers accusing the crowds of showing 'disrespect of the highest order'.It comes as police continue to investigate the lead-up to Saturday's crash. Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have so far been arrested on suspicion of offences ranging from possession of a firearm to drugs possession. Several were arrested on suspicion of links to organised crime – and police are investigating reports of a second car, a Volvo XC60, which was seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area on Saturday. Two houses were previously rammed by vehicles earlier this month in what police described at the time as 'targeted and linked' attacks. Scores of people yesterday held orange flares aloft in a field in South Bank, Middlesborough, to mark the deaths of the five joyriders A group of masked bikers tore around the field and joined in with the pyrotechnics The memorial began as a balloon release but descended into noise and confusion The vigil to remember the two constables who lost their lives was a much more sober affairHundreds of people took to social media to criticise yesterday's scenes. Diane Pennock said: 'I get it that their family's and friends will be devastated and grieving but surely in circumstances where they have killed two innocent men who were simply out doing their jobs, you grieve in private? 'To me, the public show of grief is completely excusing what they have done and that they have taken two young men's lives who had families and children they should of gone home to.'Writing on Facebook, Wendy Allington, accused the mourners of showing 'disrespectot the highest level for the two murdered policemen' and said a quiet vigil would have been more appropriate. The balloon release was also criticised by environmental campaigners, who insist the plastic in balloons spreads pollution that risks harming wildlife. Balloons can block animals' digestive and respiratory tracts, causing them to die a slow and painful death. Plenty of the residents of the surrounding streets chose not to attend the memorial events. Looking at the police officers standing beside their vehicles, a 58-year-old grandmother said: 'What must they be thinking right now? This is nothing but a mockery of the lives of those two policemen.'I've watched them walking down there drinking and smoking weed and razzing about on their motorbikes. There's nothing here to celebrate.' Just down the road, locals mourning the lives of the two constables quietly filed into St John The Evangelist Church.Among them was Redcar’s Labour MP Anna Turley, who said: 'I thought it was really important to come together. I was really pleased that the church has opened themselves up for the community to come together, because it's such a devastating incident. Family and friends of Matusiak, 23, decided to gather on the South Bank Back Field yesterday PC Matthew Blades, a father of two, was killed when his police vehicle was struck head-on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough PC Tom Clough also died in the crash, which occurred around 10 seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen had been called off. 'The whole community here is reeling, and we've lost lives, particularly those lives of brave police officers who are out in action to keep us safe. It's a tragic incident.'Back at the joyriders' vigil, one female attendee in her 20s was indignant at the tone of the coverage of the deaths of the youths. She said: 'Jakub was a lovely, caring lad and he's somebody's son and somebody's brother, he's not some scumbag who should just be written off and forgotten.'It was an accident that those police officers died, they weren't trying to kill anyone and they lost their own lives but they've just been written off as if they don't matter. 'The number of people who have come out for Jakub should show you that they do matter, they were loved and they will be missed.'The gathering took place on South Bank back field, only a few hundred yards from where the collision took place on the A66, ending seven lives.Cleveland Police attended but kept a low-key presence, a patrol car from the Matrix team – which the two constables worked in – was parked 500 yards away alongside a police van.Another balloon release was scheduled at the same time in Middlesbrough for Cole Worthy, 17, another of those killed.Matusiak, Worthy and their friends Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Michael Robert Cahill, 23, died in a catastrophic head-on collision in Teesside early on Saturday morning.The youngsters were driving the wrong way down the A66 when they struck PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, who were travelling in a response vehicle.Another police car had been pursuing them before calling off the chase. Just ten seconds later, the VW struck PCs Blades and Clough, who had not been involved in the pursuit.In the months leading up to the crash, Saddington had posted a string of TikTok clips that appeared to show him taking part in police chases. He had also been awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting police officers. Twelve people have now been arrested by police probing the crash. Four of the youngsters killed in the VW had extensive criminal records, including convictions for drug offences, assault and robbery. At the same time, another balloon release will be held in Middlesbrough for Cole Worthy, 17, another of those killed Makai Saddington, one of the five killed in the Volkswagen, posted videos on TikTok of him being chased by police and was awaiting trial for racially abusing and assaulting officersFriends and family have paid tribute to Matusiak, with his sister describing him on social media as 'my best friend, always and forever'.A family friend, Jodie Stephenson, also paid tribute, writing: 'I'll miss the ADHD and the headaches you caused us, the late-night phone calls to pick you up quickly and walking into Jimmy's to find you flat out on the bed.'You always came here when the s*** had hit the fan and that was quite often.'In May this year, Matusiak posted a video on social media which appeared to show him driving a Volvo recklessly through a Middlesbrough housing estate. At one point in the video, he was seen leaving the road and driving across a grassy area. Meanwhile, the families of the two officers have paid moving tributes to the heroes, and a GoFundMe appeal launched by Cleveland Police Federation to support them had raised more than £500,000 by this morning.The federation said its officers had 'paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty' and left behind 'heartbroken loved ones'. It added that the funds raised would be split equally between the families. PC Blades's wife described him as 'our superhero' and said: 'He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness.'Former soldier PC Clough, 38, was described by his family as 'our hero' who was 'always driven by a sense of public service'.Police said there is no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities that took place on Friday night and Saturday morning was carried out for the purposes of TikTok.The Middlesbrough crash came less than a week after an incident in Co Kildare, Ireland, when five teenagers died in a head-on crash while driving the wrong way down the M9. Close friends Theo Rae (left) and Cole Robert Worthy both died in the crash on Saturday Michael Robert Cahill was one of the five in the VW. He A family in the other car, comprising three women and a seven-year-old boy, were left seriously injured in the crash while travelling to the airport to begin a holiday, according to reports.At least three of the teenagers had boasted online about driving the wrong way down motorways to evade police.Speaking in Kyiv on Monday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the Government had urged TikTok and other platforms to remove videos which glorify dangerous driving.Mr Burnham said those who share such videos are 'doing something that's truly reprehensible'.A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The glorification of dangerous driving for clips and entertainment is utterly disgraceful and that is why we have raised the issue of this appalling content with social media companies since the tragedy.' Previous convictions of the gang Cole WorthyUse threatening abusive language to cause harassment, alarm and distress on October 27, 2024 and pleaded guiltyFailing to surrender to custody on May 14, 2025 and pleaded guiltyCommon assault of a police officer on 27 April 2025 and pleaded guiltyDriving without a licence on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyUsing a vehicle without insurance on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyDriving without reasonable consideration on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyDriving using a mobile phone on June 7, 2026 and pleaded guiltyJakub MatusiakUsing a vehicle without insurance on March 22, 2026 and pleaded guiltyDriving without a licence on March 22, 2026 and pleaded guiltyMakai SaddingtonPossession of a controlled class C drug on May 31, 2025 and pleaded guiltyPossession of a knife in a public place on May 31, 2025 and pleaded guilty11 October 2025 three offences for assaulting a police officer and pleaded guiltyAssaulted a police officer on June 9, 2026 and pleaded guiltyRacially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm and distress on June 9, 2026 and pleaded guiltyTheo Rae12 shoplifting offences between October 21, 2023 and May 4, 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offencesThree thefts from motor vehicle offences between January 31, 2024 and September 25, 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offencesOne theft of vehicle on April 13, 2024 and pleaded guiltyPossession of cannabis on April 22, 2024 and pleaded guiltyAggravated vehicle taking on May 16, 2024 and pleaded guiltyAggravated vehicle taking January 2, 2025 and pleaded guiltyConviction of an offence while a youth rehabilitation order is in force on February 26, 2025 and pleaded guiltyAssaulted a police officer on April 30, 2026 and pleaded guilty