Wolves fan arrested for allegedly mocking A66 crash that killed seven at Middlesbrough match

A 20-year-old man from Walsall has been arrested on suspicion of a public order offence after images circulated online of a person apparently mocking the A66 crash that killed seven people, during Middlesbrough’s 1-0 Championship victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

Cleveland Police said the suspect was identified after photos emerged showing what was believed to be a Wolves fan holding up a mobile phone displaying the message “Police Killed Your Own” — a reference to the devastating crash on 22 August in which two police officers and five young men lost their lives.

An official investigation into the A66 tragedy has found that police did not deploy a stinger device or initiate tactical contact before the head-on collision between a marked police vehicle and a VW Passat travelling the wrong way along a dual-carriageway, moments after a pursuit had been called off.

Cleveland Police’s dedicated football officer, PC Chris Hilton, confirmed the arrest was made in close cooperation with West Midlands Police. “Working closely with West Midlands Police, we were quickly able to identify and arrest a suspect in connection with an incident involving footage of potentially alarming and distressing behaviour captured during the match on Saturday,” he said.

“We began the investigation into this incident immediately after we were made aware of this footage following the match. We will always deal with incidents of this nature quickly and robustly to make sure the message is loud and clear that anyone attending a football match should be able to do so in a safe and enjoyable environment.”

Hilton added that enforcement action would be taken against anyone suspected of trying to cause disruption, while thanking the majority of supporters at the Riverside whose aim was simply to enjoy the game.