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Cloned-plate car chase ends in fatal Middlesbrough crash

8/25/2026

42 10 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

PC Tom Clough and PC Matthew Blades died when a Passat struck their vehicle in Middlesbrough.
Seventeen-year-old Cole Worthy and four other youths, ages 17-23, died.
Police saw a Volvo XC60 ram a house owned by Worthy’s father after dangerous-driving reports.
Automated number-plate recognition found cloned plates on both the Volvo and the Passat.
Police said officers chased the Passat for seven minutes, ending pursuit ten seconds before the crash.

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Story summary

PC Tom Clough and PC Matthew Blades died when a Passat struck their vehicle in Middlesbrough.
Seventeen-year-old Cole Worthy and four other youths, ages 17-23, died.
Police saw a Volvo XC60 ram a house owned by Worthy’s father after dangerous-driving reports.
Automated number-plate recognition found cloned plates on both the Volvo and the Passat.
Police said officers chased the Passat for seven minutes, ending pursuit ten seconds before the crash.