“LIFE FEELS UNBEARABLY QUIET WITHOUT HIM” — PC MATTHEW BLADES LAID TO REST AS £1.2 MILLION SUPPORT FUND REVEALS THE DEPTH OF PUBLIC GRIEF

Hundreds of police officers and mourners gathered in Hartlepool to say goodbye to PC Matthew Blades — a devoted husband, father and officer whose loss has shaken Cleveland and drawn support from around the world.

For the family of PC Matthew Blades, the day they had been dreading finally arrived.

On Wednesday, September 9, hundreds of police officers, emergency workers and members of the public gathered in Hartlepool as the 37-year-old armed response officer was laid to rest.

His funeral came just over two weeks after he and his colleague, PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed in the devastating A66 collision near Middlesbrough.

And as Matthew’s family prepared to say their final goodbye, the scale of the support surrounding them revealed just how deeply the tragedy had affected people far beyond Cleveland.

More than £1.2 million was raised for the families of the two officers, while messages, flowers and tributes arrived from across the UK and overseas.

“THE HEART OF THE FAMILY”

Matthew was remembered not simply as a police officer, but as a husband, father and friend whose presence filled the lives of those around him.

He was a married father of two young boys and a passionate football fan who also coached children in his spare time.

His family described him as a beloved husband, best friend and devoted father.

They said his laughter and silly jokes could brighten even the most difficult moments.

Now, they face a life without the man they described as the heart of their family.

Cleveland Police Federation chairwoman Lauren Somerville said Matthew’s family had described how much they would miss everything about him.

She said he had been someone who brought “light and laughter into every room” — and that life now felt “unbearably quiet without him.”

THE FINAL JOURNEY

Matthew’s coffin was carried into St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hartlepool, with hundreds of police officers lining the streets.

Representatives from police forces across the UK attended the service.

The coffin was draped in the Union Flag, while a floral tribute reading “Dad” was placed on the hearse — a deeply personal reminder that behind the uniform was a father whose two young sons have now lost their dad.

Police colleagues were visibly emotional as the procession arrived.

Members of the public also gathered along the route to pay their respects.

For many of those standing outside, there was little they could say.

They simply came to be there.

MORE THAN £1.2 MILLION RAISED

The public response to the tragedy has been extraordinary.

A fundraiser established for the families of Matthew and Tom raised more than £1.2 million before it was closed.

A separate GoFundMe appeal had also attracted additional donations.

Lauren Somerville said the response had been “overwhelming.”

She revealed that support had come not only through donations but through flowers, messages and gestures of respect from people around the world.

She specifically mentioned people reaching out from Australia, France and the United States.

“Every message, every gesture of support” has helped the families and the wider police community through an unimaginable period of grief.

A POLICE OFFICER, A COACH, A DAD

Away from his work with Cleveland Police, Matthew was known in his local community through football.

He had recently taken on a coaching role with Seaton Carew FC, preparing to coach the club’s under-seven team — where one of his own sons played.

That made his death particularly painful for those who knew him both as an officer and as a local dad.

He was also a passionate Manchester United supporter, and the club had previously paid tribute to him.

His family said his greatest legacy would not simply be the work he did in uniform.

It would be the love he gave his children.

REMEMBERING MATTHEW AND TOM

Matthew was killed alongside PC Tom Clough in the early hours of August 22.

The pair were travelling in a marked armed-response vehicle on the A66 near South Bank when a Volkswagen Passat travelling in the wrong direction collided with their vehicle.

Five young men travelling in the Passat also died.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Tom, 38, was a former British Transport Police officer and former soldier.

His family remembered him as “our hero”, praising his fantastic sense of humour and his instinct to help others.

His funeral is being held separately.

“FOREVER LOVED. FOREVER MISSED.”

As Matthew’s coffin disappeared from view, the crowds were left with the reality of what the family now has to face.

Two young boys will grow up without their father.

A wife has lost her husband and best friend.

Colleagues have lost a fellow officer.

And a community has lost someone who spent his life serving and protecting others.

Matthew’s family said they would carry his memory with them always.

Their final words captured the depth of the loss:

“Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever our superhero. Our Matt and Dad.”

And as police officers stood shoulder to shoulder to honour one of their own, the extraordinary public response made one thing clear:

Matthew Blades may be gone — but the mark he left on his family, his colleagues and his community will not disappear.