Several schools in Middlesbrough have faced criticism after deciding to close early ahead of the funeral of one of the five young men who died in the A66 crash, with opponents accusing them of “giving in to thugs”.
Four local schools were due to finish at midday today so pupils and staff would not be caught up in disruption linked to the afternoon funeral of 23-year-old Jakub Matusiak.
The closures followed discussions between headteachers and the local council amid fears that large crowds, motorbikes and quad bikes could gather along Normanby Road in South Bank, Middlesbrough.
Cleveland Police stressed that the early closures were “not a police recommendation”, but said officers would maintain a “proportionate visible police presence” in the areas affected to help protect public safety.
Matusiak died alongside Michael Cahill, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Worthy, 17, when the Volkswagen Passat they were in travelled the wrong way along the A66 near Middlesbrough and collided with a marked police car on August 22.
Two Cleveland Police officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed in the collision, which has since been followed by bouts of violence and disorder across Middlesbrough and County Durham.
Investigators are examining whether the five men had connections to serious and organised crime, with four of them said to have had at least 37 previous convictions between them.
The decision to send pupils home at lunchtime has drawn condemnation from Conservative education spokeswoman Laura Trott, who described it as “unacceptable” that Education Secretary Lucy Powell had not stepped in.
Ms Trott, who retained her brief in Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative frontbench reshuffle, said: ‘This is wrong. Children shouldn’t lose their education because of organised crime… we cannot give into thugs.’
In a flurry of social media posts, she said ‘thugs on quad bikes shouldn’t get to dictate who goes to school’, adding: ‘Children should not lose out on education because criminal gangs have brought fear and lawlessness to the community.’
Matusiak’s funeral is due to be held at 3pm at St John the Evangelist Church in South Bank – where a silent prayer vigil was also held for PC Blades and PC Clough last month.
Family and friends have been told to meet at Matusiak’s house from 2.30pm and walk to the church altogether, with organisers saying: ‘Bring as many bikes, quads, jeeps… anything let’s send him of how he would love.’
It is understood today’s funeral is for Jakub Matusiak, 23, one of the young men in the Volkswagen Passat which crashed into a police car on the A66 last month
A memorial for Matusiak last month in South Bank, Middlesbrough, saw flares burned and balloons released
PC Tom Clough, left, and PC Matthew Blades were killed in the car crash on the A66
Cleveland Police said there will be potential traffic disruption and delays between 3pm and 5pm.
A spokesman for the force added: ‘Any decisions made by schools or other services to close has been a decision made by those organisations in isolation, and has not been a police recommendation.
‘There will be a proportionate visible police presence in the affected areas to ensure public safety, in line with our plans for any significant gathering.’
At a ‘memorial’ for Matusiak last month, close to the crash site in South Bank, orange balloons were released, fireworks set off and balaclava-clad bikers intimidated residents.
Matusiak had previously shared footage on social media of him driving a Volvo recklessly, veering off the road and speeding across a grass park in May. He had two previous convictions for driving without a licence and using a vehicle without insurance.
South Bank primary school will close at 12pm ‘to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils,’ it said.
Headteacher Tammy Cooper said in a Facebook statement that the school expected ‘large numbers of people in the area which will inevitably cause congestion and transport disruption’.
She added: ‘This decision has been reached after careful consideration of the potential impact on the departure of pupils, staff and families.
‘We recognise the inconvenience this may cause and thank our families for their understanding and co-operation.’
Ms Cooper said the school also recognises ‘some pupils may feel upset or anxious about the funeral taking place locally’ and the pastoral team would be available for support.
Mark Robinson, head of Outwood academy in Normanby, said in a letter to parents that his school would also close at midday after discussions with the council.
Archway Academy Teesville and St Margaret Clitherow’s Catholic Primary School will also close early. Mackenzie Thorpe Centre will be closed all day.
Last week a vigil for Cahill was criticised by MPs and police after a crowd set fire to cars in Haswell, County Durham.
A ‘memorial’ for Michael Cahill, who was also killed in the crash, led to cars being set alight in Haswell, County Durham
A spokesman for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said: ‘Following discussions between local headteachers and the local authority, a number of schools in the South Bank area will close earlier than usual on Friday afternoon due to anticipated traffic congestion and transport disruption associated with a local funeral taking place in the area.
‘The decision was made after careful consideration of the potential impact on home-to-school transport and the departure of pupils, staff and families at the end of the school day.
‘Schools have worked with the local authority and transport providers to consider arrangements for pupils, including those who travel to and from specialist educational settings.
‘We recognise that early closure may cause inconvenience for some parents and carers, and we thank them for their understanding and co-operation.’
But Ms Trott urged the Education Secretary to intervene, telling the Labour minister she had a ‘duty to ensure that this does not impact on the honest and decent pupils, parents and teachers in the area’.
She added: ‘Children should not be kept out of school because of the behaviour of thugs on the streets.
‘If schools are closing because of concerns about disorder, intimidation or criminality in the surrounding area, then those responsible should be held to account by law.’
‘Intimidation must never be tolerated. No child should lose out on their education because criminal gangs have brought fear and lawlessness to their community.’
The Education Secretary responded saying she trusted headteachers to ‘make judgments that they need to make to keep their school community safe’.
Lucy Powell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘As Education Secretary, I want schools to be open. I want pupils attending schools all the time.
‘And these headteachers of these small number of schools have taken a very difficult decision with the local authority and the police for the safety of their school community to close early.
‘What I would say is that there are huge anxieties and worries in the communities.’
She added: ‘I trust headteachers to make the judgments that they need to make to keep their school community safe. I hope this doesn’t have to happen again.’
And Ms Powell said it was not a time for ‘party political point scoring’.
‘This is a very, very difficult and delicate situation, as you say, and I will always put the safety and wellbeing of children at the forefront of anything I do,’ she said.
Ms Powell said ‘tensions are high’ in the area.
