AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT HAS JUST BEEN MADE AHEAD OF COLE WORTHY’S FUNERAL—AND THE TIMING HAS LEFT MIDDLESBROUGH ON EDGE AS SCHOOLS PREPARE FOR DISRUPTION, POLICE WATCH THE STREETS AND ANOTHER HEARTBREAKING FAREWELL THREATENS TO REOPEN THE WOUNDS OF THE A66 TRAGEDY
A Middlesbrough health centre has confirmed it will close its building for two hours on Wednesday – the day of the funeral of A66 crash victim Cole Worthy. Acklam Medical Centre, in Trimdon Avenue, has told patients that its building will be closed between 11am and 1pm on September 9.
The announcement was posted on the practice’s website on September 3, with patients told they would still be able to contact the surgery by telephone and use online consultations. The timing of the closure comes as the funeral of 17-year-old Worthy is due to take place in Middlesbrough. Funeral details published for the teenager state that the service will be held at St Bede’s Chapel at Teesside Crematorium at noon on Wednesday.
Worthy was one of five people killed when a Volkswagen Passat travelled the wrong way along the A66 and collided with a marked Cleveland Police vehicle in the early hours of August 22.
The two officers in the police car, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed.
The other occupants of the Passat were Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jakub Matusiak.
Cleveland Police subsequently named all five men who died in the Volkswagen.
The crash has been followed by heightened tensions and a major police operation in the Middlesbrough area.
Funerals for those who died in the collision have been taking place against a backdrop of concerns over large gatherings and potential disruption.
Cole Worthy (right) was one of five in the car who died in the crash (Image: Social media)
Police have stressed that decisions by schools, businesses and other organisations to close have been made independently following their own risk assessments.
Speaking on Tuesday, Superintendent John Wrintmore said of Makai Saddington: “There is another funeral taking place this morning, Tuesday 8th September, with the cortege travelling through Middlesbrough from around 10:30am. The affected roads are Homerton Road, Ladgate Lane, Acklam Road and Cargo Fleet Lane.
“The previous two funerals have passed with minimal disruption to traffic and the public. We continue to work closely with our partners to prioritise public safety. Again, we would like to thank our communities for their continued support, and our visible policing presence will continue in the area for the rest of the week.”Acklam Medical Centre’s notice does not state why the building will be closed between 11am and 1pm.
The practice’s website simply says: “On Wednesday 9th September our building will be closed between 11am and 1pm.”
It adds: “Please note we are still contactable via Telephone and Online Consultations.”
Get top stories from The Express sent straight to your phoneJoin us on WhatsApp
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The centre is an NHS GP practice based on Trimdon Avenue in Acklam, Middlesbrough. Its normal Wednesday opening hours are listed as 8am to 6pm.
The Express has approached the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, which oversees the centre, to ask whether the two-hour closure is connected to Cole Worthy’s funeral.
No such connection has been confirmed by the medical centre in its public notice.
The closure will take place from 11am until 1pm, with Worthy’s funeral scheduled for noon.
The teenager was among seven people who died in the A66 collision, which has prompted an ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct alongside Cleveland Police investigations into events surrounding the crash.
SOURCE: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2246630/a66-crash-middlesbrough-health-centre-cole-worthy-funeral
