Funeral for police officer killed in A66 crash who ‘gave everything’The service for Pc Tom Clough, 38, in Redcar, Teesside, comes a day after the service for Pc Matthew Blades, 37, in Hartlepool.The funeral of Pc Tom Clough is due to take place (Cleveland Police/PA)PA MediaTom Wilkinson3 minutes ago
A funeral will be held on Thursday for a police officer who was killed in a horrific collision on the A66 and described as “giving everything to everybody”.
The service for Pc Tom Clough, 38, in Redcar, Teesside, comes a day after hundreds of police officers lined the street outside a church in Hartlepool for the service of Pc Matthew Blades, 37.
The colleagues were in a marked armed response vehicle which was involved in a head-on collision with a VW Passat on the A66 at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, on August 22.
Five young men in the Passat, which was heading the wrong way down the dual-carriageway following a police pursuit, were also killed.
Before joining Cleveland Police, Pc Clough had served in the British Army in Afghanistan, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and British Transport Police.
Ahead of Pc Clough’s funeral, Cleveland Police Federation chairwoman Lauren Somerville said: “The family want everyone to know that the public’s support has brought them so much comfort.
“Tom was deeply loved by his colleagues.
“People have been contacting me that worked with Tom years and years ago.
“It would be an understatement to say that every single place that he served was privileged to have him with them.”
Streets lined with police colleagues at the ceremonial parade to the funeral of Pc Matthew Blades at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hartlepool (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Wire
Ms Somerville said he was a much-loved partner, son and brother and the “father” of his beloved sausage dog, Frank.
She added: “Tom used to say there wouldn’t be anyone at his funeral and he couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Tom was described as giving everything to everybody.”
Some of the police officers who attended Pc Blades’ funeral wore identity patches “Pc 2443 BLADES” and “Pc 3234 CLOUGH” on their uniforms.
A police officer wearing a black armband embroidered with the names of Pc Blades and Pc Clough (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Wire
Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller has previously said Pc Blades and Pc Clough were “brave, committed, professional people who put the public before themselves”.
An online fund raised more than £1.2 million for the police officers’ families.
Cleveland Police previously said that the five young men who were killed may have had links to organised crime.
MORE ABOUT