EVEN ON THE FINAL DAY OF SAYING FAREWELL TO THEIR SON, THIS FAMILY WAS HIT BY ANOTHER SHOCK

Police were suddenly called to the funeral of 17-year-old Cole Worthy — and his father was later charged following a disturbance inside the crematorium.

The family of Cole Worthy had gathered at Teesside Crematorium on Wednesday to say their final goodbye to the 17-year-old, one of five young men who died in the devastating A66 crash.

But what should have been a deeply personal farewell was suddenly disrupted when police were called to the funeral service.

According to Cleveland Police, officers were sent to Teesside Crematorium at around 12:30 p.m. on September 9 after receiving reports of a disturbance during the service.

A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and taken into custody.

The funeral service was later able to resume, while officers remained in the area to provide reassurance.

The man was subsequently identified as Gye Worthy, Cole’s father.

Police have since confirmed that Gye Worthy has been charged with common assault, a public-order offence and obstructing police.

He is due to appear before Teesside Magistrates’ Court on October 2.

The charges relate to what happened during the funeral, but the precise circumstances of the alleged assault have not been fully detailed by police.

Gye Worthy has not been convicted of the offences and remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.

A FUNERAL TAKING PLACE UNDER HEAVY POLICE ATTENTION

Cole Worthy was one of seven people who died in the A66 collision on August 22.

Five young men were travelling in a Volkswagen Passat when it collided head-on with a marked police vehicle on the wrong side of the dual carriageway.

Cole, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, and Jakub Matusiak, 23, died in the crash.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, also lost their lives.

The tragedy has since brought intense attention to Middlesbrough and surrounding communities, with a major police presence deployed around a number of funerals and related events.

Cole’s funeral was held on the same day as the funeral of PC Matthew Blades, whose service took place in Hartlepool.

ANOTHER PAINFUL MOMENT FOR A FAMILY ALREADY IN GRIEF

For Cole’s loved ones, the funeral was supposed to be about remembering a teenage son, brother and friend.

Instead, police intervention became part of a day that the family had already feared would be one of the hardest moments of their lives.

The disturbance ended with Cole’s father facing criminal charges, adding another extraordinary chapter to a tragedy that has already shaken the community.

Police have said officers remained nearby after the incident to reassure mourners and maintain public order.

For those gathered to remember Cole, the service eventually continued.

But the events inside the crematorium ensured that even the family’s final farewell was overshadowed by another unexpected shock.