BEHIND THE UNIFORM WAS A MAN THEY LOVED BEYOND WORDS..! – Heartbreaking details about PC Matthew Blades emerge during emotional full police ceremonial funeral
There has been an emotional farewell to fallen PC Matthew Blades as a full police ceremonial funeral took place. The 37-year-old father of two was honoured at St Joseph’s RC Church on Hutton Avenue in Hartlepool on Wednesday morning.
The road and surrounding streets were lined with officers from Cleveland and forces from around the country who gathered to pay their respects, along with other emergency services personnel. Teesside Live reports that four police horses, wearing Cleveland Constabulary numnahs under their saddles, first walked up the road to meet the funeral procession before returning to stand in line near the entrance to the church. Officers bowed their heads and standard-bearers from forces around the country lowered their flags as the cortege passed slowly.
A floral tribute reading “DAD” was placed atop the hearse. Pipers played Amazing Grace as officers carried PC Blades’ coffin into St Joseph’s Church.
PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough who died when the Passat hit their marked police vehicle(Image: Cleveland Police )
Officers were seen visibly moved as they grieved their colleague(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Police officers paying their respects to PC Blades(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
A police officer wears a black armband embroidered with the names of two colleagues who were killed (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
PC Blades lost his life along with his colleague, PC Tom Clough, 38, when a Volkswagen Passat collided with their marked police armed response vehicle they were travelling in. The Passat went in the wrong direction down the A66 in South Bank when the crash happened in the early hours of Saturday, August 22.
During the procession on Wednesday, some officers were seen wearing a badge on their uniforms, bearing the fallen officers’ names and collar numbers. Many were in tears as they grieved their colleague.
Ahead of the funeral, Lauren Somerville, chairwoman of Cleveland Police Federation, paid tribute to PC Blades. She said: “Matthew was a best friend, a husband, a father, a brother, a son and his family have said that words aren’t powerful enough to describe how they feel right now. He has been described as the heart of the family and he will be remembered beyond words, today, tomorrow and always.
“He would be so proud of all the support that has been shown from the public and from his colleagues to his family.” She added: “The feeling amongst officers is a sense of pride and duty especially at the moment to make sure Tom and Matty are remembered and they have the funerals that they deserve.
“Officers in Cleveland are standing shoulder to shoulder and that is reflective throughout the country. There are officers from around the country coming here to support us, federation reps from around the country coming here to support us and we can feel that.”
Standard bearers lower their flags as the cortege passes(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The Teesside community was left reeling from the tragedy. A fundraiser set up for the families of the two police officers reached £1.2 million, with almost 44,000 people donating.
PC Blades, who worked as an English teacher at Darlington’s Carmel College before leaving to join Cleveland Police, had recently joined Seaton Carew FC as a coach and was looking forward to coaching his son in the U7 team.
He was also a much-loved coach at FC Hartlepool and in a lasting tribute to him the club changed one of the team’s names to FC Blades. Above all, he was a cherished husband and father.
In a moving tribute, his wife said: “No words will ever feel like the right words to honour our Matt — my beloved husband, my best friend and the most devoted father to our two young boys. He was an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle.
“He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends and his loss has left a space that can never be filled. He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness.
“The pain of losing him is beyond words, and our lives will never be the same. Neither will the love he gave us ever fade.
“Our children will grow up knowing what an incredible father he was and will always be, and I will carry his love, his memory and everything we shared with me always. He may have left this world committed to the duty he believed in, but his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave to his family.”
Hundreds line the streets for the funeral at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hartlepool(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Members of the public also gathered to pay their respects (Image: Teesside Live )
Members of the public also gathered for the funeral procession in a show of respect for the officer and his colleagues. Marlene Gray was among the residents who gathered on Hutton Avenue.
The Hartlepool gran told Teesside Live her grandson plays in the under-11s team at the same club where PC Blades was a coach. She said: “It’s devastating. Just heartbreaking. His poor family, it’s such a shame.”
Speaking of the support from the community and the fundraiser launched after the tragic deaths of the officers, she said: “It’s not going to bring them back but will help those two boys.”
Another resident named Tina who did not want to give her surname told Teesside Live her father was a police officer with Cheshire Police, and said the deaths of the officers, “who were just doing their jobs”, had shocked and saddened her.
Carole Grady said: “We wanted to pay our respects to someone who has given his life while doing his job. I didn’t know him but I was shocked by the news. It’s so mindless.”
PC Clough, 38, will be honoured at a separate police funeral tomorrow.
