Multiple people have died in a crash involving a police vehicle and a car in the early hours of this morning, Cleveland Police have said.

Fourteen ambulance crews were sent to the serious crash involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat, which took place at about 3.39am on the A66 in South Bank, near Middlesbrough in Teesside.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, a number of people died at the scene, North East Ambulance Service said.

The road is closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane.

There is significant emergency response at the scene and people should use alternative routes as the road “will remain closed for some time”, Cleveland Police said.

A force spokesperson added: "Around 3:39am this morning, a collision took place involving a police vehicle and a Volkswagen Passat on the A66 in South Bank.

"Sadly, the collision has resulted in multiple fatalities. There are significant emergency vehicles on the scene, and the road will remain closed for some time. The public are asked to use alternative routes.

"We are working to identify the victims and contact their families. This is a quickly evolving incident and we ask that members of the public respectfully avoid speculation."

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said: “We sent 14 ambulance resources at the scene, including emergency ambulance crews, a specialist paramedic, our Hazardous Area Response Team and a doctor from Great North Air Ambulance Service.

“Sadly despite the best efforts of everyone attending, a number of patients died at the scene. We send condolences to all of those affected by such a tragic event and thank everyone for all they did to help.”

More follows on this breaking news story....