A TINDERBOX town is caught up in a “gang turf war” – with a horror crash, multiple fires, house rammings and a stabbing leaving nine people dead across five days of carnage.
Hundreds of police officers from across Britain have been deployed to Middlesbrough this week in a bid to crackdown on the violence and prevent further retaliation – making a total of 24 arrests.
A wall was demolished in the suspected car ramming this morning
Valentina was killed in a house fire while staying with her aunt yesterday
Five “joyrider” youths and two police officers died in a wrong-way smash on the A66, before schoolgirl Valentina Foster, seven, and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died in a house fire following a suspected arson attack.
A caravan and multiple vehicles were also torched and a 39-year-old man knifed as Cleveland cops brought in reinforcements to get a lid on the chaos, all within a few miles.
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In the early hours of last Saturday morning, a stolen car rammed through the window of a terraced red-brick home in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough, triggering a police chase.
The house, belonging to Gye Worthy, was rammed twice by the Volvo SUV, which reversed into the front window at around 3am, causing extensive damage.
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The house fire is understood to be linked to the horror A66 crash which claimed seven lives, including two policemen
Valentina Foster, seven, and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, died in the house fire Credit: Facebook
Minutes later, Gye’s 17-year-old son Cole and four of his friends raced through the streets in a Volkswagen Passat, allegedly pursuing the Volvo.
There is no indication that Gye was involved in any criminal activity.
A police patrol spotted the Passat after the plates activated an ANPR camera and initiated a high speed chase lasting nearly seven minutes.
Ring doorbell footage captured it being driven at speed at around 3.36am, with locals recalling the noise of the two cars.
As the Passat joined the A66 – on the wrong side of the road – cops called off the chase.
But just 10 seconds later, at 3.39am, the car ploughed into another marked armed-response vehicle carrying two officers.
The cop car was travelling on the correct side of the carriageway and had not been part of the high-speed chase, but was in the area to assist.
The five young men in the Passat and two officers – PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38 – died in the head-on smash at 3.39am.
A balloon release in memory of the A66 crash victims yesterday
Cops believe the ‘joyriders’ were out looking for revenge after the home belonging to Worthy’s dad, pictured, was rammed twice by a Volvo Credit: PA
A fundraiser, launched by Cleveland Police, said the two police officers “paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty“ and has already bypassed £1million.
Cops named the “joyriders” as Cole Worthy, 17, Michael Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.
The Volvo and Passat both had cloned number plates.
By Tuesday cops had arrested 17 people in connection with the fatal smash – 14 men and three women, aged between 16 and 61.
And within hours had also arrested five more people, with help from the National Crime Agency and North East Regional Organised Crime Unit.
The force said they were a boy aged 16, an 18-year-old and a man of 21, all on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group, a 55-year-old on suspicion of assisting an offender and a 23-year-old on suspicion of making threats to kill.
Investigators uncovered extensive social media and TikTok photos and videos, including of Saddington and Matusiak posing in cars and on motorcycles wearing black balaclavas, alongside anti-police rap lyrics.
Amid the crackdown and flurry of arrests, three men have subsequently been charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs and possession of criminal property.
Emergency services at the scene on the A66 in South Bank Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Floral tributes have been laid at Cleveland Police HQ for the two dead officers Credit: PA
Local council officials and residents have noted rival gangs in the town, allegedly involved in the rammings and chases, routinely use balaclavas to conceal their identities, reports The Daily Telegraph.
In the early hours of Wednesday, a house fire broke out on Birchington Avenue, around a mile away from the A66 crash in the Grangetown area.
Emergency services scrambled to the home at 5.23am, with firefighters tackling flames billowing from upstairs windows.
Seven-year-old Valentina Foster and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34, tragically died in the devastating blaze.
Natalie’s 15-year-old daughter and a friend had managed to escape through an upstairs window after kicking it out.
Cops said a woman, aged 48, was pulled from the fire and taken to hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne in a critical condition.
Three others were hurt, including one who jumped from an upstairs window.
Armed cops guarded the fire-hit property – though investigators say this is not believed to be connected to the A66 crash or wider turf war.
The roof of the house torn apart by a fire yesterday morning Credit: PA
A floral tribute left near the scene of the house fire, as a murder probe is launched Credit: PA
Two men, aged 23 and 31, were quickly arrested on suspicion of murder over the fire and remain in custody.
Minutes apart on the same morning, a caravan was set alight on nearby Atlee Road, also in Grangetown.
In the early hours of Thursday, just before 1am, another house wall was rammed by a car in Steele Crescent, South Bank.
Cleveland Police said the property was empty, adding: “It has not yet been confirmed whether this incident is linked to wider organised crime”.
Tactical officers subsequently intercepting a Mercedes on nearby Kingsley Road around 10.30pm that night.
Four men inside the vehicle were arrested on suspicion of arson for the caravan fire, criminal damage with intent to endanger life for the Steele Crescent ramming, and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs after a large quantity of drugs and £15,000 in cash were seized from the Mercedes.
Also at around midday on Thursday, a 39-year-old man was stabbed at an address in Eston, five miles from Middlesbrough – with no arrests yet made but police not ruling out a link with the ongoing turf war.
Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald has slammed the unrest, calling the unsavoury events a “whole series of utterly appalling acts of wanton criminality”.
Previous convictions of four occupants
Cole Worthy
Use threatening abusive language to cause harassment, alarm and distress on 27 October 2024 and pleaded guilty
Failing to surrender to custody on 14 May 2025 and pleaded guilty
Common assault of a police officer on 27 April 2025 and pleaded guilty
Driving without a licence on 7 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
Using a vehicle without insurance on 7 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
Driving without reasonable consideration on 7 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
Driving using a mobile phone on 7 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
Jakub Matusiak
Using a vehicle without insurance on 22 March 2026 and pleaded guilty
Driving without a licence on 22 March 2026 and pleaded guilty
Makai Saddington
Possession of a controlled class C drug on 31 May 2025 and pleaded guilty
Possession of a knife in a public place on 31 May 2025 and pleaded guilty
11 October 2025 three offences for assaulting a police officer and pleaded guilty
Assaulted a police officer on 9 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
Racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm and distress on 9 June 2026 and pleaded guilty
Theo Rae
12 shoplifting offences between 21 October 2023 and 4 May 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offences
Three thefts from motor vehicle offences between 31 January 2024 and 25 September 2024 and pleaded guilty to all offences
One theft of vehicle on 13 April 2024 and pleaded guilty
Possession of cannabis on 22 April 2024 and pleaded guilty
Aggravated vehicle taking on 16 May 2024 and pleaded guilty
Aggravated vehicle taking 2 January 2025 and pleaded guilty
Conviction of an offence while a youth rehabilitation order is in force on 26 February 2025 and pleaded guilty
Assaulted a police officer on 30 April 2026 and pleaded guilty
Michael Robert Cahill
No convictions
He added there was an “underlying cause” attracting young men into such behaviour.
Mr McDonald said: “They’re getting pulled into this appalling set of behaviours and engaging in this performative criminality without any regard for the consequences.”
Distraught friends and family paid tribute to Valentina and her auntie, with one relative saying: “Why you? You’re just a baby.”
Natalie’s mum Lisa Kirton told the BBC that Valentina, known as Tina, had been staying with the family over the school holidays.
Masked youths sparked outrage after setting off flares in the memory of Matusiak – one of the joyriders killed in the horror A66 crash.
The gathering took place on South Bank field on Monday, only a few hundred yards away from the site of the crash which claimed seven lives.
Several of Valentina’s relatives also posted tributes to Matusiak.
One lad, who we are not naming, shared a photo with Matusiak, 23, and wrote: “Till we meet again Tuz.” He also posted details of Matusiak’s September 4 funeral.
Meanwhile, an unauthorised memorial vigil in Haswell for Michael Cahill resulted in five vehicles being torched.
Four of the “joyriders” had previously appeared in court charged with a series of offences, Cleveland Police said.
The uncle of one of the A66 crash gang was jailed for previously driving on the wrong side of the same road during a similar 100mph police chase.
Aaron Saddington, 23, was locked up for 20 months in June after trying to shake off cops by speeding at oncoming traffic on the dual carriageway.
He was caged after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance, according to court documents obtained by The Jattvibe.
The terrifying incident was almost identical to the head-on crash last Saturday.
Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Emily Harrison, said: “We continue to work to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened, but we are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time.”
Of the 24 people arrested following the A66 crash and subsequent organised crime crack down, three people have been charged.
Kai Beattie, 19, has appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Cameron George, 26, faces charges of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and criminal property, and has been remanded in custody for Teesside Crown Court.
Kai Inico, 21, is charged with possession with intent to supply a Class B drug and has been released on conditional bail.
