Hundreds of police officers held a moving funeral for PC Matthew Blades, who was killed in a head-on collision on the A66.

Bagpipers led the hearse as colleagues in white caps hugged and comforted each other during the final salute to the armed response officer at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in his home town of Hartlepool.

He was killed with his colleague Pc Tom Clough, 38, in a crash at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, in which five young men also died.

Some of the officers who lined the length of Hutton Avenue outside the red-brick church wore identity patches PC 2443 BLADES and PC 3234 CLOUGH on their uniforms.

The hearse had a white and red floral tribute which read ‘Dad’ on the roof for the married father-of-two.

The standard bearers lowered their flags as the hearse, led by a police motorbike outrider, approached the church.

Four officers on horse-back stood guard beside a cordon where hundreds of members of the public were also paying tribute.

Before the service, traffic officers in white caps hugged each other as they remembered Pc Blades, who was an armed response officer.

Four pipers and a drummer processed in front of the funeral car and they played Amazing Grace as the coffin, covered by a Union Flag, was brought in.

Emergency services representatives from the North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance were also there.

Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller greeted mourners at the entrance to the church.

Policing minister Sarah Jones and Home Office minister Anna Turley also attended.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute in the Commons, saying: ‘I also want to send our sympathies to the hundreds of people who will gather today at the funeral of Pc Matthew Blades, including many serving police officers, and we send our thanks to them all for their service and their work to keep our communities safe.’

Ahead of the service, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle said: ‘Today we remember in prayer Pc Matthew Blades, who gave his life in service to others.
‘We pray for his family, colleagues and all those affected by these tragic events, and ask for the Lord’s comfort, strength and guidance at this time.’

Outside church, Zara Lavender, 30, from Hartlepool, said: ‘I have come here to pay my respects to the officer, I thought it was important that people came out to show that.’

A former British Army soldier, who asked not to be named, explained why he came, saying: ‘You can see from the turnout that people wanted to get together.

‘These guys did not deserve what happened to them – the police have a hard enough job as it is.’

Ahead of the service, Cleveland Police Federation chairwoman Lauren Somerville thanked the public for their support.

She said: ‘There’s been over £1.2 million raised for Matt and Tom’s families, which is overwhelming, and a great show of support.

‘There have been comments on Facebook, we’ve had flowers delivered to our stations.

‘People have been in touch from Australia, France, America – the support has been overwhelming, and it’s been comforting.’

Describing Pc Blades, she said: ‘Matthew was a best friend, husband, father, a brother and a son, and his family have said the words are not powerful enough to describe how they feel right now.

‘He has been described as the heart of the family, and he will be remembered beyond words today, tomorrow, and always.

‘He would be so proud of all of the support that’s been shown from the public and from his colleagues, to his family.

‘His family have said they’re going to miss everything about him more than words can say, and his laughter and silly jokes made them smile even when they least expected it.

‘He’s been described as bringing light and laughter into every room and now life feels unbearably quiet without him.’

The armed response officers were in a marked vehicle heading the right way down the A66 in the early hours of August 22 when they were hit by a Passat which had been involved in a police pursuit before it was aborted.

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