A group of Middlesbrough schools who are closing early before the funeral of one of the five young men killed in the A66 crash have been accused of ‘giving in to thugs’. 

Four schools in the area have announced plans to shut their doors at midday today to avoid clashing with the funeral of Jakub Matusiak, which is set to take place this afternoon.

The decision, which has been condemned by the Conservatives, followed a meeting between head teachers and the local authority over concerns about large crowds, motorbikes and quad bikes gathering in Normanby Road, South Bank.

Matusiak, 23, Michael Cahill, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Worthy, 17, were killed when the Volkswagen Passat they were driving the wrong way down the A66, near Middlesbrough, smashed into a marked police car on August 22.

Two Cleveland Police officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed in the crash, which has set off a wave of violence and unrest in Middlesbrough and County Durham.

Police are investigating whether the five men – four of whom had at least 37 previous convictions between them – had links to ‘serious and organised criminal activity’.

The move to shut schools at lunchtime has been heavily criticised by Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott, who said it was ‘unacceptable’ for Education Secretary Lucy Powell not to intervene.

Ms Trott, who retained her brief in Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative frontbench reshuffle, said: ‘This is wrong. Children shouldn’t lose their education because of organised crime… we cannot give into thugs.’

In a flurry of social media posts, she said ‘thugs on quad bikes shouldn’t get to dictate who goes to school’, adding: ‘Children should not lose out on education because criminal gangs have brought fear and lawlessness to the community.’

Matusiak’s funeral is due to be held at the St John the Evangelist Church in South Bank – where a silent prayer vigil was also held for PC Blades and PC Clough last month.

It is understood today’s funeral is for Jakub Matusiak, 23, one of the young men in the Volkswagen Passat which crashed into a police car on the A66 last month

A memorial for Matusiak last month in South Bank, Middlesbrough, saw flares burned and balloons released

PC Tom Clough (left) and PC Matthew Blades were killed in the A66 crash

At a ‘memorial’ for Matusiak last month, close to the crash site in South Bank, orange balloons were released, fireworks set off and balaclava-clad bikers intimidated residents.

South Bank primary school will close at 12pm ‘to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils,’ it said.

Headteacher Tammy Cooper said in a Facebook statement that the school expected ‘large numbers of people in the area which will inevitably cause congestion and transport disruption’.

She said: ‘This decision has been reached after careful consideration of the potential impact on the departure of pupils, staff and families.

‘We recognise the inconvenience this may cause and thank our families for their understanding and co-operation.’

Ms Cooper said the school also recognises ‘some pupils may feel upset or anxious about the funeral taking place locally’ and the pastoral team would be available for support.

And Mark Robinson, head of Outwood academy in Normanby, said in a letter to parents that his school would also close at midday after discussions with the council.

Archway Academy Teesville and St Margaret Clitherow’s Catholic Primary School will also close early. Mackenzie Thorpe Centre will be closed all day.

Last week a vigil for Cahill was criticised by MPs and police after a crowd set fire to cars in Haswell, County Durham.

A ‘memorial’ for Michael Cahill, who was also killed in the crash, led to cars being set alight in Haswell, County Durham

A spokesman for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said: ‘Following discussions between local headteachers and the local authority, a number of schools in the South Bank area will close earlier than usual on Friday afternoon due to anticipated traffic congestion and transport disruption associated with a local funeral taking place in the area.

‘The decision was made after careful consideration of the potential impact on home-to-school transport and the departure of pupils, staff and families at the end of the school day.

‘Schools have worked with the local authority and transport providers to consider arrangements for pupils, including those who travel to and from specialist educational settings.

‘We recognise that early closure may cause inconvenience for some parents and carers, and we thank them for their understanding and co-operation.’

But Ms Trott urged the Education Secretary to intervene, telling the Labour minister she had a ‘duty to ensure that this does not impact on the honest and decent pupils, parents and teachers in the area’.

She added: ‘Children should not be kept out of school because of the behaviour of thugs on the streets.

‘If schools are closing because of concerns about disorder, intimidation or criminality in the surrounding area, then those responsible should be held to account by law.’

‘Intimidation must never be tolerated. No child should lose out on their education because criminal gangs have brought fear and lawlessness to their community.’

The Education Secretary responded saying she trusted headteachers to ‘make judgments that they need to make to keep their school community safe’.

Lucy Powell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘As Education Secretary, I want schools to be open. I want pupils attending schools all the time.

‘And these headteachers of these small number of schools have taken a very difficult decision with the local authority and the police for the safety of their school community to close early.

‘What I would say is that there are huge anxieties and worries in the communities.’

She added: ‘I trust headteachers to make the judgments that they need to make to keep their school community safe. I hope this doesn’t have to happen again.’

And Ms Powell said it was not a time for ‘party political point scoring’.

‘This is a very, very difficult and delicate situation, as you say, and I will always put the safety and wellbeing of children at the forefront of anything I do,’ she said.

Ms Powell said ‘tensions are high’ in the area.