Disorder that erupted in Middlesbrough over the previous weekend continued into Thursday night, when three cars were set alight in a field during what began as a gathering to mourn 23-year-old Michael Cahill, one of five people killed after their car travelled the wrong way down the A66. Writing in the Daily Mail, Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen argues the incident reflects a wider breakdown in law and order across parts of Britain, driven by drug crime and a loss of respect for authority, rather than being representative of most Middlesbrough residents, whom he describes as decent and hard-working.

Houchen says the unrest began as a vigil but descended into an impromptu "banger race" that alarmed nearby residents, with similar car-burning incidents also reported in County Durham. He rejects explanations rooted in deprivation or circumstance, insisting those involved are criminals seeking money and status through drugs and intimidation, and stresses that the true victims of the A66 crash were the two police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, who died responding to it. He calls on the Home Office to fund and sustain a stronger police presence, give Cleveland Police fairer funding, and ensure courts hand down tougher sentences rather than repeated leniency.