Several people have died following a serious collision involving a police vehicle and a passenger car near Middlesbrough, police have confirmed.

The crash happened at around 3:39am on Saturday, 22 August, on the A66 in the South Bank area, east of Middlesbrough. Cleveland Police said the collision involved a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat and resulted in multiple fatalities.

Emergency services responded rapidly, with the North East Ambulance Service sending 14 units, including ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, a hazardous area response team and an air ambulance doctor.

Police are working to identify those who died and contact their families. The A66 remains closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston while emergency services and investigators deal with the incident.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of fatalities, and the investigation remains ongoing.