Best friend of hero police officer killed in A66 crash takes his place in the Great North Run as he pays tribute to 'happiest person you could ever meet'

The best friend of a hero police officer killed in the A66 crash took his place in the Great North Run yesterday – as he paid tribute to 'happiest person you could ever meet'.Daragh Burke, 37, ran the 13.1-mile course from Newcastle to South Shields in memory of his childhood best mate PC Matthew Blades, who died in the horror crash last month.He wrote on Facebook: 'I suspect there'll be a few difficult moments out there, but I also know exactly what Matty would be saying - probably something completely inappropriate while taking the piss out of my running.'This one's for you, mate. I'll get you over that finish line.'For Mr Burke, the race was never really about replacing his friend but about making sure the officer's final challenge was completed, which he managed to do in 2hr 59min.Mr Burke said his friend was 'just someone that was always there and I never expected to not be there'.Remembering his friend's character, he added: 'He was just the happiest person you could ever meet, always smiling, always up for a laugh and just made time for everyone.'PC Blades was one of two Cleveland Police officers killed in the devastating A66 collision near Middlesbrough in the early hours of August 22. Daragh Burke, left, completed the Great North Run yesterday in memory of his childhood best friend PC Matthew Blades, who was killed in the A66 crash last month PC Blades was one of two Cleveland Police officers killed in the devastating A66 collision near Middlesbrough in the early hours of August 22He and colleague PC Tom Clough, 38, were travelling in a marked police armed response vehicle when it was struck by a Volkswagen Passat, which had five people inside, travelling the wrong way along the dual carriageway.All seven people in the two vehicles died.The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision, while Cleveland Police began a wider investigation into alleged criminality in the events leading up to the crash.Cleveland Police said the Passat was believed to have been connected to earlier reports of dangerous driving and had been travelling on the wrong side of the A66 when it collided with the officers' vehicle.PC Blades was remembered by colleagues, family and friends as a devoted father, husband and much-loved member of the local community.His funeral was attended by hundreds of police officers and mourners, with officers from forces across the country paying their respects.But for his oldest friend, the most fitting tribute was much simpler: putting on his vest and finishing what Matty started.Neither of them had previously run the Great North Run.And while Mr Burke admitted he was facing the daunting prospect of 13.1 miles after only two weeks of preparation, he knew exactly who he was carrying with him.The Parkinson's UK team said it was honoured that PC Blades had chosen to support the charity and expressed its gratitude to Mr Burke for completing the race in his friend's memory.The Great North Run organisers also confirmed that Mr Burke's running number had been officially reallocated, while reminding participants not to swap race numbers because each one is linked to important personal information that organisers may need to access quickly. PC Blades's funeral was attended by hundreds of police officers and mourners, with officers from forces across the country paying their respectsThe pair had been inseparable for 30 years, becoming friends at primary school and remaining close through university and into adulthood.They were also godfathers to each other's children.Mr Burke said his friend would have found the idea of him taking on the half marathon with almost no preparation hilarious.He said PC Blades would be 'laughing his head off that I'm doing it', particularly as his starting place was immediately behind the elite runners.But there was a serious purpose behind the run.PC Blades had signed up for the Great North Run as part of a year-long challenge to raise money for Parkinson's UK, a charity which had become particularly important to him after his mother-in-law was diagnosed with the condition.In January, the officer challenged himself to run 10km every day for a month and amassed 310km before committing himself to a series of races throughout 2026.His Parkinson's UK fundraising page shows that he had raised thousands of pounds for the charity before his death.The Great North Run was due to be his second-to-last challenge of the year, before the officer was due to take part in the Kielder Marathon in October.You can donate to his cause here.