Serious disorder at a balloon release for one of the young men who died in the A66 car crash is “unacceptable”, an MP has said.
Durham Police said a large crowd gathered on a privately owned field near Haswell, County Durham, on Thursday evening where five vehicles were set on fire and balloons, flares, and fireworks were released.
Assistant Chief Constable Jon McAdam said: “We utterly condemn anyone who would use that tragedy as an excuse for disorder.”
Redcar MP Anna Turley said the event “put lives at risk” and left residents “frightened and angry in their own communities”
Turley added: “People have a right to grieve and to pay their respects – but people also have a right to feel safe in their own homes and neighbourhoods.”
Seven people, including PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, died in the crash near Middlesbrough on Saturday, followed by a house fire in Grangetown on Wednesday that claimed the lives of a woman and a seven-year-old girl.
Police said a majority of the crowd in the field near Haswell had travelled from outside the County Durham area, bringing with them a number of vehicles.
Officers were called to the area shortly after 17:30 BST, the force said.
No-one was injured and no arrests were made.
However, a police operation, including investigation work and visible uniformed patrols, would continue in the area over the coming days, Durham Police added.
