SCHOOLS across Middlesbrough are expected to close early again fearing disorder at the funeral of a teenager who died in the A66 crash.
Theo Rae, 17, was one of five travelling the wrong way down the A66 when their car collided with a cop vehicle on August 22.
Theo Rae (left) and Cole Worthy both died in the head-on crash Credit: Facebook/Theo Rae
Friday’s funeral for Jakub Matusiak also saw schools close Credit: PA
The council said a number of schools are expected to close early, and one primary school said it would “ensure safe transit home for all our families”.
On Friday, hundreds of people gathered in Middlesbrough’s South Bank wearing black or orange for the funeral of Jakub Matusiak, 23, another of the joyriders.
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A funeral procession led by two white horses, with a white Rolls Royce and Lamborghini following made its way through the town.
The coffin had “son” engraved on the top and was covered with orange and white flowers.
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Some mourners were seen wearing masks on Friday Credit: PA
Matusiak’s funeral involved a funeral procession led by two white horses Credit: PA
The road outside the church was blocked by the council, but there was no visible police presence and the gathering “passed without issue”.
It is understood that similar arrangements will be in place today for Rae’s funeral at Teesside Crematorium in Acklam, including a visible police presence.
Kemi Badenoch has branded the decision “obscene” and slammed Education Secretary Lucy Powell for not intervening.
The Conservative leader wrote: “It’s obscene that this is happening again. It is the duty of government to keep schools open, yet the Labour Education Secretary is allowing gang violence to dictate the lives of law-abiding citizens.
“Lucy Powell should be ashamed that she has refused to intervene. This sets a terrible precedent and sends a message to criminals and thugs across the country that this Labour government is too weak to keep its people safe from them.
“It is also a kick in the teeth to the police officers being asked to defend parents, teachers and children from the very thugs involved in the violence that killed two of their own.
“It was bad enough that schools closed early last week but it is completely unfathomable that the Labour government has not stopped it happening again this week. If they don’t act now, this will only get worse.”
Last week shadow education secretary Laura Trott also criticised Ms Powell for not keeping the schools open.
PC Tom Clough (left) and PC Matthew Blades, who died in the A66 crash Credit: PA
Masked youths set off flares and released balloons at a previous memorial for Matusiak Credit: Supplied
Hooded youths burned motors at a vigil for another A66 victim, Robert Cahill
Credit: @LauraTrottMP/X
She said: “It is the role of the Education Secretary to do everything to keep children in the classroom. Thugs on quad bikes shouldn’t get to dictate who goes to school”.
Middlesbrough council said the decision to close schools was due to “the possibility of localised traffic disruption leading to delays later in the afternoon”.
Outwood Academy Acklam will close at 12:15 BST, Newham Bridge Primary School at 13:00 and Acklam Whin Primary School and Green Lane School in Acklam at 13:15.
A message to parents of pupils at Outwood Academy Acklam said: “This decision has been reached after careful consideration of the potential impact on pupils, staff and families travelling to and from the school.”
Adding: “Where possible, we would encourage parents and carers to collect their children in person to help ensure the quickest journey home.
“We recognise the short notice and the inconvenience this may cause, and we thank parents and carers for their understanding, flexibility and cooperation.”
It comes after a rowdy memorial was held for Matusiak on August 24, during which balaclava-clad mourners performed wheelies and shot flares.
A gang of around 20 masked youths on scooters, off-road bikes and quad bikes roared around a field in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, in honour of Matusiak, who himself had convictions for motoring offences.
Emergency services at the scene on the A66 in South Bank Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Hundreds of orange balloons – chosen because it was his favourite colour – were released into the sky amid cheers from the crowd.
At a twisted vigil for Robert Cahill, 23 – another one of the A66 crash victims – motors were burned to a crisp in a field.
Cahill’s friends paid tribute to him by skidding the cars around a farmer’s field and churning up the ground before setting the motors alight. It is not clear who the cars belonged to.
MP Kate Dearden described the scenes as “absolutely horrendous.”
There were fears of a similar turnout at Friday’s service for Matusiak, with the town described as being on “lockdown” on the morning of the funeral and extra cops lining the streets.
The shocking A66 smash saw a Volkswagen Passat crash into a cop car while driving in the wrong direction, killing PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38.
The five young men in the Passat were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jakub Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.
The A66 smash has sparked a wave of gang violence in Middlesbrough, with 200 specialist cops being drafted in to restore order.
The fallout saw a gangland feud which had been bubbling up for months burst out into the open.
Sources say homes have been rammed for months as part of a tit-for-tat campaign involving rival gangs feuding over “drugs and money“.
