Durham Police have condemned the behaviour of a crowd who travelled to County Durham on Thursday evening and set fire to a number of vehicles during a vigil for one of the men who died in the A66 crash.
The force said the crowd gathered on a privately owned field near Haswell in County Durham, where five vehicles were set on fire and balloons, flares, and fireworks were released.
No-one was injured and no arrests were made.
The force said officers decided to let the cars burn because "the field was contained and it was assessed there was no immediate risk to wider public safety".
Assistant Chief Constable Jon McAdam, of Durham Constabulary, said: “The behaviour we saw at last night’s gathering was completely unacceptable.
“Our officers and the communities of County Durham and Darlington were understandably horrified by the tragedy which unfolded on the A66 last week which resulted in multiple deaths, including two serving police officers.
“We utterly condemn anyone who would use that tragedy as an excuse for disorder and expect the overwhelming majority of the public would join us in doing so”.
Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, said the events were “completely unacceptable”.
In a post on Facebook, Home Office minister Ms Turley said: “It puts lives at risk, places even more pressure on our already stretched emergency services and leaves residents frightened and angry in their own communities.
“After everything our area has endured over the past week, I will not accept this kind of behaviour becoming normalised.”
Hundreds of extra police officers have been drafted in after a series of violent incidents, starting with the head-on crash that killed two police officers and five young men on Saturday and a house fire which claimed the lives of a seven-year-old girl and her aunt on Wednesday.
Amid reports of other incidents, including an assault involving a bladed weapon and properties being rammed, Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Andy McDonald said "communities were living in terror and fear."
Mr McDonald made the comments as councillors revealed 200 extra police officers were helping under-pressure Cleveland Police staff, and before videos shared on social media appeared to show several cars on fire at a vigil in Haswell, County Durham, where balloons were released in tribute to one of the men killed in the A66 crash.
The extra officers have come from a number of forces, including the National Crime Agency, and are assisting as police continue to investigate the blaze in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough.
On Friday (28 August), a 21-year-old man arrested over the investigation into events leading up to the fatal A66 crash was charged with a drugs offence.
Police have not ruled out a link between the crash and the fatal house fire.
Mr McDonald told ITV Tyne Tees: “I am totally in awe of how Cleveland Police have responded to this crisis.
"They are making sure that these crimes are being properly investigated and they are making arrests, they are going to be prosecuting people and there are more arrests to come."
Mr McDonald said the events in Haswell were "not the way to mark anyone's passing".
He added: "Setting cars alight in a public place is never acceptable."
On Thursday evening, videos shared on social media appeared to show several cars on fire in Haswell.
According to reports, the event was being held to remember A66 crash victim Michael Cahill, 23, with footage showing a large crowd gathering on grassland while cars could be seen skidding around the area.
Later on Thursday, more videos shared online appeared to show burnt-out cars being moved from the field, 20 miles north of the crash site, by a tractor.
On Friday, remnants of fireworks, smoke canisters and balloons were scattered around a field where cars had been torched, with scorch marks visible on the ground.
The cars have been removed but a section of a front bumper remained in place.
Alec Brown, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, said he has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham to ask for more resources.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died in the head-on collision with a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the A66 on Saturday at South Bank.
Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Mr Cahill and Jakub Matusiak were also killed in the incident.
Police have arrested 17 people after the A66 crash, which followed a police pursuit, as part of investigations into alleged organised crime.
On Friday (28 August), Cleveland Police said Kai Inico, who was arrested on Monday on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, had been charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug.
The force said four other people arrested by Cleveland Police on Monday have also been bailed – a 16-year-old boy and 18-year-old man arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, a 55-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and a 23-year-old man arrested on suspicion of threats to kill.
Earlier this week, two people were charged with offences and appeared in court and 10 others were bailed.
Meanwhile, two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fire which killed Natalie McDonald, 34, and seven-year-old Valentina Foster and injured four others in Grangetown.
Ms McDonald’s brother Josh Kirton told reporters: “My sister was not involved with anything to do with gangs, or the (crash on the) A66.
“That’s what makes this so senseless.
“People think they can do whatever they like.
“There’s some terrible people in the world and now my sister and Valentina have gone.”
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