Row breaks out over minister's tribute to A66 crash victims

Home Office Minister Anna Turley paid tribute to all seven victims of the deadly A66 crash in a Facebook post, sparking a backlash from the shadow justice secretary.

Turley said Cleveland Police had specifically requested she pay tribute to all victims in any message. The force declined to confirm or deny this when contacted by the BBC.

In a letter, Turley accused Timothy of having 'sought to create media hits and political points' which was 'beneath contempt'. She said there was no 'moral equivalence, or judgements about worth' in her tribute.

The row centres on a lengthy Facebook post Turley made shortly after the incident, in which she wrote: 'This morning I went down to South Bank to lay flowers and pay my respects, on behalf of our whole community, to the seven people whose lives were so tragically cut short yesterday. 'Timothy took issue with that in an X post on Monday night, saying he did not wish to 'speak ill of the dead' but that 'we should be able to see the difference between right and wrong'. PC Matthew Blades (left) and PC Tom Clough were killed in a crash near Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the Passat was believed to be using cloned registration plates.

Cleveland Police announced five more arrests on Tuesday, bringing the total to 17, including a 16-year-old boy and two men, 18 and 21, arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group.

Separately, two men previously arrested have since been charged as part of the investigation.

The row centres on a lengthy Facebook post Turley made shortly after the incident, in which she wrote: 'This morning I went down to South Bank to lay flowers and pay my respects, on behalf of our whole community, to the seven people whose lives were so tragically cut short yesterday.'

Timothy took issue with that in an X post on Monday night, saying he did not wish to 'speak ill of the dead' but that 'we should