Arabic version: رئيسة شرطة كليفلاند تدعو إلى إصلاح دائم للتمويل
According to BBC News, Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller has said she is proud of her “brave” force but believes it is being “let down” by its funding arrangements following the A66 crash that killed seven people, including PCs Matthew Blades and Tom Clough. In her first sit-down interview since the crash, Fuller said the force needed to become part of a larger organisation with greater resources.
A Volkswagen Passat carrying five young men travelled the wrong way down the motorway near Middlesbrough before colliding with a marked police car. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said officers had pursued the vehicle for almost seven minutes after it was linked to earlier alleged criminal activity, but abandoned the pursuit 10 seconds before the crash when the Passat turned onto the dual carriageway. The five people who died in the Volkswagen on 22 August were aged from 17 to 23.
The Home Secretary announced an additional £2m for Cleveland Police to deal with the aftermath of the crash, while 200 officers were drafted in from elsewhere. Fuller said she was grateful, but added that she needed such support permanently. Cleveland’s Labour police and crime commissioner has previously said the force required an extra £20m annually to recruit officers and tackle organised crime.
Office for National Statistics figures for the year to March placed Cleveland at the highest recorded crime rate in England and Wales. The force also ranked highest for burglary, sexual offences, violence with injury, and criminal damage and arson. Fuller said Cleveland had experienced the largest fall in officer numbers since 2010 and was staffed as though it were a rural force, despite facing crime levels comparable with metropolitan areas.
Recent inspections have judged Cleveland one of the most improved forces in England and Wales, with performance among the country’s best. The force recently arrested 87 people for alleged offences linked to organised crime gangs, and 16 people have been jailed for such crimes over two years. The Home Office said Cleveland could receive up to £197.8m in 2026/27, a 3.7% cash uplift, and said it was reviewing the police funding formula.
