A number of people died after a crash involving a police vehicle in the early hours of Saturday morning, police said.

The fatal collision, which also involved a Volkswagen Passat, took place on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, at about 3.40am.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the number of casualties.

The A66 is now closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane.

There is significant emergency response at the scene and people should use alternative routes as the road “will remain closed for some time”, Cleveland Police said.

A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: “Around 3:39am this morning, a collision took place involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank.

“Sadly, the collision has resulted in multiple fatalities. There are significant emergency vehicles on the scene, and the road will remain closed for some time.

“The public are asked to use alternative routes.

“We are working to identify the victims and contact their families. This is a quickly evolving incident and we ask that members of the public respectfully avoid speculation.”

A number of patients died at the scene

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said: “We were called to a serious road traffic incident involving three vehicles on the A66 at South Bank at 3.39am on August 22.

“We sent 14 ambulance resources at the scene, including emergency ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, our hazardous area response team and a doctor from Great North Air Ambulance Service.

“Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone attending, a number of patients died at the scene.

“We send condolences to all of those affected by such a tragic event and thank everyone for all they did to help.”

Local MP ‘deeply saddened’ by fatal collision

Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, the constituency where the crash happened, said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the fatal collision on the A66 this morning.

“My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, and with everyone affected by this terrible incident.

“Thank you to all of our emergency services, who have worked through the night responding to this devastating incident.”

She added: “We would ask everyone to avoid speculating online to respect the families and the police while they do their work at this terrible time.”

This is a breaking news story and is being updated