Police officials and ministers have warned that young drivers are "baiting" officers by filming themselves being chased and performing dangerous driving stunts for TikTok, as further videos of the practice emerged. The Daily Mail found clips, some posted months ago, showing motorists speeding through red lights, driving over pavements and grass, and racing at over 80mph while being pursued or mocking police, prompting fresh calls for social media platforms to remove such content amid concern for public and officer safety.

The Police Federation said such content was appearing "every day" and was causing serious concern among officers worried about both their safety and being filmed during pursuits. The warning follows the deaths of two police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, killed on Saturday when a stolen Volkswagen Passat being pursued crashed into their vehicle on the A66 in Teesside; five young men in the fleeing car also died, and TikTok has since removed accounts belonging to two of them. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the sharing of such videos as "truly reprehensible", while the Government has urged TikTok and other platforms to act, though similar footage reportedly remains available elsewhere online.