Hundreds of mourners have gathered for the funeral of one of the five young men who died in the A66 crash – after schools were accused of ‘giving in to thugs’ by closing at lunchtime amid fears of disorder.
Six schools in Middlesbrough shut their doors at midday today to avoid clashing with the funeral of Jakub Matusiak in South Bank.
The decision, which has been condemned by the Conservatives, followed a meeting between head teachers and the local authority over concerns about large crowds, motorbikes and quad bikes gathering.
Matusiak, 23, Michael Cahill, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Worthy, 17, were killed when the Volkswagen Passat they were driving the wrong way down the A66 smashed into 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 crash, which has set off a wave of violence and unrest in Middlesbrough and County Durham.
Police are investigating whether the five men – four of whom had at least 37 previous convictions between them – had links to ‘serious and organised criminal activity’.
A white carriage drawn by two grey horses carrying Matusiak’s coffin arrived at St John The Evangelist Church, just before 3pm this afternoon. Family members and close friends arrived in a Rolls Royce, two Lamborghinis, a Porsche and two limousines.
Floral tributes spelling the words ‘Dad’ and ‘Friend’ had been placed on top of the carriage while two black hearses followed behind carrying photographs of Matusiak framed with cream and orange flowers.
The family had requested mourners wear orange, his favourite colour. Traffic was held up as the coffin, engraved with the words ‘son’, was carried into the church by six pallbearers, the solemn silence interrupted briefly by applause and whistles.
Yet officers stayed away from the service when it began at 3pm even as crowds continued to gather outside, some seen wearing balaclavas and hoodies.
Members of the press who were reporting on the funeral were advised to leave the area half way through with one man exclaiming ‘It would be a good idea to leave…now.’
Family and friends were 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.’
Mourners have gathered for the funeral of one of the five young men killed in the A66 crash
Traffic was held up as the coffin, engraved with the words ‘son’, was carried into the church by six pallbearers
Mourners attend the funeral of Jakub Matusiak. Many were dressed in orange while some were masked
Cleveland Police said closing schools early was ‘not a police recommendation’, adding that there will be a ‘proportionate visible police presence in the affected areas to ensure public safety’.
The move to shut schools at lunchtime has been criticised by Tory education spokesman Laura Trott, who said it was ‘unacceptable’ for Education Secretary Lucy Powell not to intervene.
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.’
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.
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 masked and hooded mourner gathers for the funeral in South Bank today
Mourners follow the coffin as it is led through South Bank in a funeral procession
Other young men arrived in a convoy of 4×4 sports cars, with many mourners dressed in orange at the request of the deceased’s family
The cortege for Jacob Matusiak enroute to St John’s The Evangelist Church, Middlesbrough
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.
PC Tom Clough, left, and PC Matthew Blades were killed in the car crash on the A66
A memorial for Matusiak last month in South Bank, Middlesbrough, saw flares burned and balloons released
A ‘memorial’ for Michael Cahill, who was also killed in the crash, led to cars being set alight in Haswell, County Durham
‘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.
