A Home Office minister, Anna Turley, has come under fire from a senior Conservative MP after she paid tribute to all seven people killed in a crash on the A66, including the five young men whose vehicle struck and killed two police officers. Nick Timothy, the Shadow Justice Secretary, accused the Labour MP for Redcar of putting "thugs" on a "par" with the officers, arguing it was inappropriate for a Home Office minister to equate the perpetrators with their victims. Turley strongly rejected the criticism, calling it an attempt to score political points from a tragedy.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died when their response vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat being driven the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough, killing all five occupants of the car as well. Turley said the identities of the five men were not public when she laid flowers and posted her tribute, and claimed Cleveland Police had specifically asked her to honour all seven victims in any public message; the force declined to confirm or deny this when asked by the Daily Mail. Timothy, in a written response, said such a request from a police force to an MP would be "extraordinary" and that he had never known one to be made during his time working in government.