Five more people have been arrested following investigations into events surrounding the crash on the A66 in which two police officers and five people in a Volkswagen Passat died, police have said.

It brings the total of arrests to 17 following the horrific crash near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday.

On Tuesday, Cleveland Police said it had arrested five more people with the assistance of the National Crime Agency and the 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.

Cleveland Police said two of the 12 people previously arrested have now appeared in court.

Kai Beattie, 19, of Foxrush Court, Redcar, appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, according to the force.

Cameron George, 26, of Micklow Close, Redcar, was remanded in custody to appear at Teesside Crown Court on September 21 charged with drugs offences and possession of criminal property, it said.

Police have previously said that the five young men in the Passat may have had links to “serious and organised criminal activity”.

On Tuesday, it emerged that a property in a quiet street in Acklam, Middlesbrough, had been rammed, causing extensive damage prior to the police pursuit.

Neighbours said Cole Robert Worthy, 17, sometimes stayed at the address where the front bay window had collapsed, windows broken and the front door smashed.

There had been extensive police activity in the street since then, said the neighbours, who asked not to be named.

Asked about the balloon releases held in tribute to the young men, the locals said: “It’s disgraceful, the tributes should just be for the bobbies who died.”

Four of the five young men in the car had previous criminal convictions, and were believed to be associated with another car which was seen ramming properties earlier that morning.

Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, were killed when the Passat, which had been pursued by police, was driven the wrong way along the dual-carriageway and hit their marked armed response vehicle.

The five people in the Passat, Cole Worthy, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak, were pronounced dead at the scene at South Bank, early on Saturday.

Inquests were due to open on Thursday morning for the two officers with hearing for the young men in the Passat were scheduled for the afternoon at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.

Cleveland Police has previously said that on the morning of the collision, it received several reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously.

The first vehicle, believed to be a Volvo XC60, was witnessed ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area.

The second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, is believed to have been associated with the activities of the Volvo.

Police said both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology.

The Volvo XC60 involved in the initial reports has been traced and recovered in Middlesbrough.

Police said there was no evidence that filming of the activities on Friday night and Saturday morning was “for the purposes of TikTok”.

Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, responsible for the strategic leadership of the investigation, said: “This has been a fast-moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity.”

He went on to say: “We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice.”

More than £750,000 has been raised for the families of the two police officers who were killed.

A fundraiser created by the Cleveland Police Federation said funds raised would be split equally between the two officers’ families and the federation would continue to provide support.

Cleveland Police launched the chase after receiving intelligence relating to “numerous incidents” linked to a Passat, which activated an ANPR camera and is believed to have been using cloned plates, investigating watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.

Family members described former Civil Nuclear Constabulary officer Pc Clough as “our hero” who was “always on public duty”.

In a statement issued by Cleveland Police, Pc Blades’ wife called him “my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys”.

Tributes for the five young men were also shared on social media, with many of their friends saying they “can’t believe it” and were “heartbroken” and “lost for words”.

Balloon releases have been announced in their memory at different locations.

Meanwhile, Paul Williams, acting deputy national chairman for the Police Federation of England and Wales, told BBC Breakfast: “Every day we can identify now numerous examples of young people sensationalising dangerous driving.

“Not just dangerous driving, but baiting police officers who are out there to protect the public.

“It’s a real problem. It’s causing officers concern.

“They shouldn’t have to be going out and worrying about whether they’re going to return home from their shift or not.

“But on top of that, wondering if they’re going to be plastered all over social media.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable and social media platforms need to take some action.”