Father charged after assault at son’s funeral following A66 crash

Cleveland Police have now charged him with common assault and obstructing police.

He is set to appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on October 2, the force said.

On Wednesday, a spokesman said: "Our visible police presence will remain in the area to provide reassurance, and we would again like to thank our communities for their ongoing cooperation and support."

His son, 17-year-old Cole Worthy, was one of five young men killed in a Volkswagen Passat going the wrong way on the A66 after it collided with a police car in the early hours of August 22.

Sarah Moloney, a friend of his mother, thanked attendees in a social media post on behalf of the family.

She said: "To everyone who came today for our Coley, thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.

"Seeing so many faces who loved him cared for him and held him close means more than we can ever put into words, your presence, your hugs, your kind words and every beautiful memory you shared.

"Cole was so loved, and today showed us just how far that love reached.

"Thank you for walking this hard day with us, thank you for loving him, for remembering him and for being here for us.

"He will live on in all our hearts forever. Rest peacefully, our beautiful Coley, we love you more than anything."

After the crash, it emerged that a property in a street in Acklam, Middlesbrough, linked to the teenager, had been rammed, causing extensive damage.

Cole Worthy’s funeral was on the same day as that of PC Matthew Blades, 37, killed in the crash alongside 38-year-old PC Tom Clough.

His charges were confirmed on the same day as PC Clough’s funeral, attended by hundreds of mourners, including police and military veterans.

The two men were in a vehicle looking for the Passat after its cloned registration plates triggered a camera, although they were not involved in the chase before the crash, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller has previously said the two PCs were "brave, committed, professional people who put the public before themselves".

An online fundraiser in their memory has raised more than £1.2million for the officers’ families.

Also killed in the Passat were Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jakub Matusiak, 23, Makai Siddington, 18 and 17-year-old Theo Rae.

The final funeral for one of the five, for Mr Cahill, was held on Thursday.