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PCs Matthew Blades and Tom Clough 'put the public before themselves', Cleveland Police chief says
Cleveland Police's Chief Constable has said she is proud of her "brave" force but that it was being "let down" by the way it was funded, following a fatal crash which killed seven people including two police officers.
In her first sit-down interview since the A66 crash, speaking exclusively to the BBC, Victoria Fuller said the force needed to become part of a larger, strategic force with greater resources.
She said her officers are dealing with some of the highest crime levels in the country and it is akin to those faced by metropolitan forces, but with less than half the number of officers.
Multiple people have since been arrested as part of a wider police operation against organised crime following the head-on car crash on the A66.
A Volkswagen Passat carrying five young men drove the wrong way down the motorway near Middlesbrough in the early hours of the morning before colliding with a marked police car.
Officers had been pursuing the car for almost seven minutes after it was connected to earlier alleged criminal activity, but the pursuit was abandoned 10 seconds before the crash when the Passat turned on to the dual carriageway, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
Fuller, whose force covers an area of north-east England that includes Middlesbrough and Teesside, recalled being asleep when the duty commander rang her with the news.
"No matter how tragic and devastated you feel, we swing into action and we do what we need to do," she said.
The home secretary announced this week that Cleveland Police would be given an extra £2m to deal with the fallout from the crash, with 200 officers drafted in from elsewhere.
Fuller told the BBC on Friday that she was grateful for the support the force had been given, but added: "I need that all the time."
Cleveland's Labour police and crime commissioner has previously said the force needed an extra £20m a year to hire more officers and crack down on organised crime.
Cleveland Police is grappling with the highest recorded crime rate of anywhere in England and Wales, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures for the year to March show.
At the same time, Fuller said Cleveland Police had experienced the largest decrease in the number of officers since 2010 and was staffed as if it were a rural force.
"It absolutely needs to change," she said.
Fuller expressed hope that reform to policing across the country was on the horizon, and that Cleveland Police would become one of the "big, strategic forces that have the resource, the flex and the capability to surge when they need to surge".
She added: "In the meantime, we need additional funding... to take us to that point."
Fuller denied that gangs had control over parts of Middlesbrough, describing it as a "complex" area to police, with high rates of school absence, drug addiction and mental health issues.
"We're doing the very, very best with what we've got - and we absolutely do need more."
Authorities say high deprivation and unemployment in the area are fueling organised crime.
"When young people have little aspiration or hope, who don't have confidence in the state, then unfortunately criminals exploit these people," Fuller said.
"They give confidence, and they give them hope, and they give them aspiration. And sadly what that means is young people doing things without thought of consequences."
The five who died in the Volkswagen on 22 August were aged between 17 and 23. Four of them had previous convictions, including for assaulting police officers and theft, Cleveland Police previously said.
Since the crash, the force has responded to at least two incidents it believes are in retaliation for the crash.
It has also had to grapple with a house fire in Middlesbrough that killed a woman and her niece, and left several others injured, which police could not rule out was linked to organised crime.
A 23-year-old man has been charged with murder in relation to the deaths of Natalie McDonald, 34, and Valentina Foster, seven.
Fuller also paid tribute to the two officers who died in the A66 crash - PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.
"My heart goes out to their families - it really does," she said. "My grief can't compare to theirs, nor to the officers and staff who've worked closely with Matty and Tom for a long time."
The Home Office said it was grateful to Cleveland Police for delivering a robust response in difficult circumstances.
A spokesperson said: "We have been in regular contact with Cleveland Police and local leaders, ensuring they have the support they need and engaging on their financial concerns.
"This additional £2m targeted funding will help Cleveland Police tackle serious crime. Beyond this, the force will receive up to £197.8m in funding in the 2026/2027 financial year - a 3.7% uplift in cash.
"We have also committed to a wider review of the police funding formula to ensure that force funding is fair and responsive to local needs."
