Schools to close early over expected ‘traffic disruption’ for A66 crash funeral

A number of schools in Middlesbrough are closing early on Friday as the first funeral for one of five young men killed in a head-on crash on the A66 takes place.Four schools have said they will shut their doors at lunchtime as “large numbers of people” are expected to descend on the area, causing “congestion and traffic disruption”.The funeral is understood to be for Jakub Matusiak, also known as Jacob, who was one of five young men killed when a Volkswagen Passat hit a marked police car while going the wrong way down a dual carriageway.Mr Matusiak, 23; Cole Worthy, 17; Theo Rae, 17; Makai Saddington, 18; and Michael Cahill, 23, were pronounced dead at the scene.The two police officers in the other vehicle – Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38 – were also killed in the incident.Crowds, motorbikes and quad bikes are expected to congregate in Normanby Road in the South Bank area of Middlesbrough for the funeral of Mr Matusiak.South Bank Primary School said it would be closing at 12pm on Friday “to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils”.In a message posted on social media, headteacher Tammy Cooper said: “A funeral is being held locally at St John’s Church on Normanby Road that day and we are expecting large numbers of people in the area which will inevitably cause congestion and transport disruption in the immediate area.“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.”Read MoreMs 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.Police officers Pc Tom Clough, left, and Pc Matthew Blades died in the crash on the A66 (Cleveland Police/PA)PA MediaIn a letter to parents, Mark Robinson, principal of Outwood Academy in Normanby, said the school would also close from midday after discussions between local headteachers and the council.A vigil for Mr Cahill last week prompted criticism from MPs and police after a crowd set fire to a number of cars in Haswell, County Durham.A spokesperson 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.”Shadow education secretary Laura Trott branded the decision to close schools early as “wrong” and said that “children shouldn’t lose their education because of organised crime”.She urged Education Secretary Lucy Powell to intervene in a letter shared on X, writing: “You have 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. 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.”