The Northern Echo understands that some Middlesbrough schools will close early again on Monday for the funeral of Theo Rae, 17, who died in the A66 crash. The funeral is due at Teesside Crematorium in Acklam on Monday afternoon, and the cortege is expected to travel around Middlesbrough before reaching St Bede's Chapel on Acklam Road.
Theo Rae funeral in Acklam
Cleveland Police said Ladgate Lane, Ormesby Road, Cargo Fleet Lane and Acklam Road will all be affected. John Wrintmore said there will be “a proportionate visible police presence in the affected areas to ensure public safety, in line with our plans for any significant gathering.”
Outwood Academy Acklam will close at 12:15 BST. Newham Bridge Primary School will close at 13:00, while Acklam Whin Primary School and Green Lane School in Acklam will close at 13:15.
Middlesbrough Council closures
Middlesbrough Council said some schools had chosen to close ahead of Monday's funeral “based on the possibility of localised traffic disruption leading to delays later in the afternoon.” One primary school said the early finish would “ensure safe transit home for all our families.”
The closures come after Friday's funeral for Jakub Matusiak in South Bank, where Cleveland Police said the service “passed without issue” and brought “very minimal traffic disruption.” That earlier school closure shows how the same crash is continuing to affect routines far beyond the immediate family.
A66 crash aftermath
The A66 crash on 22 August killed seven people, including two police officers, after a car went the wrong way down the road near Middlesbrough and hit an oncoming Cleveland Police vehicle. Kemi Badenoch called it “obscene” for schools to close early again, while Luke Myer said he was “sick of politicians like Kemi Badenoch trying to score political points when we on Teesside are dealing with a tragedy.”
Parents and drivers in Middlesbrough now have the timetable that matters most on Monday: three schools close before the afternoon and the funeral route is expected to cut across several named roads. The local impact will depend on how long the cortege takes to move through the area, but the school day will finish early for families at the affected schools.
