A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault following a disturbance at the funeral of 17-year-old Cole Worthy, one of five young men killed in the A66 collision that also claimed the lives of two police officers.

Cleveland Police said officers were called to Teesside Crematorium at around 12:30pm on Wednesday. Superintendent John Wrintmore said: "Police swiftly attended to Teesside Crematorium following reports of a disturbance during a service taking place inside. A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and has been taken to police custody. Officers will be in the area to provide reassurance."

Following the crash, a property linked to Mr Worthy in Acklam, Middlesbrough, was rammed and extensively damaged. Cleveland Police previously stated that the men inside the vehicle may have had links to organised crime. Unlike earlier funerals for others who died in the collision, which saw some local schools close early, schools remained open during the service.

The disturbance occurred on the same day as the full ceremonial funeral for PC Matthew Blades, 37, which drew hundreds of police officers from across the country to St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Hartlepool.

Following the service, PC Blades's widow paid tribute to her "beloved best friend" and the "heart of our family" in a statement released through the Cleveland Police Federation. She said: "There are no words powerful enough to express the heartbreak of losing my beloved best friend, my husband and father to our beautiful boys, especially in such tragic and unimaginable circumstances. The heart of our family has been taken from us and from those who loved him far too soon."

She added that the family would miss "everything about him, but perhaps most of all, we miss his laughter, his silly jokes and the way he could always make everyone smile."

PC Blades died alongside his colleague PC Tom Clough, 38, when a Volkswagen Passat collided with their marked armed response vehicle on the A66 at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, on 22 August. Five young men inside the Passat were also killed: Mr Worthy, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Cahill, 23, and Jakub Matusiak, 23.

A white and red floral tribute reading "Dad" rested on the roof of the hearse as it moved through Hartlepool. Standard bearers representing every UK police force lowered their flags, and four mounted officers stood guard beside cordons where hundreds of members of the public gathered to pay their respects. Uniformed officers lining Hutton Avenue wore "thin blue line" patches displaying the collar numbers of both PC Blades and PC Clough.

Four pipers and a drummer processed ahead of the hearse, playing Amazing Grace as colleagues carried the Union flag-draped coffin into the church. Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller greeted mourners at the entrance, with representatives from the North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance also in attendance.

Policing Minister Sarah Jones and Home Office Minister Anna Turley attended the service. Earlier in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to the officer, sending sympathies to the mourners and thanking police officers for their service.

Lauren Somerville, chair of the Cleveland Police Federation, spoke of the deep impact across the force and remembered PC Blades's character, noting that prior to policing he had taught English at Carmel College in Darlington. She added that messages of support and flowers had arrived from as far afield as Australia, France, and the United States.

Extensive road closures were put in place across Hartlepool to accommodate the funeral procession, covering Hutton Avenue, St Paul's Road, and South Road.

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), officers had pursued the Passat for nearly seven minutes following reports of alleged criminal activity, but called off the pursuit 10 seconds before the collision when the vehicle entered the dual carriageway. The IOPC confirmed that PC Blades and PC Clough were not involved in that pursuit, but were searching for the Passat after an automated camera flagged its cloned registration plates.

A separate funeral for PC Clough is due to take place at a later date. I will continue to follow the investigation and report further details as they are announced.