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Hundreds of police officers held a moving funeral for PC Matthew Blades who was killed in a collision on the A66.
His colleagues in white caps hugged each other as they remembered Pc Blades, who was an armed response officer.
Standard bearers represented every UK force at the service at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in his home town of Hartlepool.
He was killed with his colleague Pc Tom Clough, 38, in a horrific collision at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, in which five young men also died.
Some of the officers who lined the length of Hutton Avenue outside the red-brick church wore identity patches PC 2443 BLADES and PC 3234 CLOUGH on their uniforms.
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The hearse had a white and red floral tribute which read ‘Dad’ on the roof for the married father-of-two.
The standard bearers lowered their flags as the hearse, led by a police motorbike outrider, approached the church.
Four officers on horse-back stood guard beside a cordon where hundreds of members of the public were also paying tribute.
Before the service, traffic officers in white caps hugged each other as they remembered Pc Blades, who was an armed response officer.
Four pipers and a drummer processed in front of the funeral car and they played Amazing Grace as the coffin, covered by a Union Flag, was brought in.
Emergency services representatives from the North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance were also there.
Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller greeted mourners at the entrance to the church.
This is a breaking news story… More to follow…
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