People deserve to feel safe, says council leaderImage source, SuppliedImage caption, The family of Natalie McDonald and her niece Valentina Foster have paid tribute to themByJason Arunn MurugesuNorth East and CumbriaPublished59 minutes agoPeople living in a town where nine people have been killed in a crash and fire in the past week deserve to "feel safe in their own homes", a council leader has said.Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council leader Alec Brown's comments come after seven people, including two police officers, died in a car crash at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, on Saturday and a 34-year-old woman and seven-year-old girl died in a house fire in Grangetown on Wednesday.Brown told Radio 4's Today programme he had called an "urgent meeting" on Friday among councillors, police and social housing providers.Police have made several arrests in connection with the recent deaths.Brown said he understood people from parts of Middlesbrough and Redcar might feel "left behind"."I'm from an estate, from the same ilk," he said. "You live around people that may be suffering poverty or other social issues, it can be that uniform sort of consciousness that 'we're left behind'."But I can assure the people of Grangetown and South Bank – they're as important to me as a people from any other state in the borough and we're working tirelessly to ensure that they do feel safe in their own houses."Image source, Cleveland PoliceImage caption, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough were killed in the crash near Middlesbrough on Saturday PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died on Saturday when a Volkswagen Passat, going the wrong way on the A66 at South Bank hit their vehicle.The five young men in the Volkswagen also died.Who were the seven killed in wrong-way crash?Two police officers among seven killed in wrong-way car crashPCs killed in A66 crash were heroes, say familiesFundraiser for A66 crash police officers tops £1mPolice said 17 people, aged between 18 and 61, had been arrested across Teesside as part of an ongoing investigation into the lead-up to the crash. They have been held on a range of offences, including possession of a firearm and being part of an organised crime group.Image source, Social MediaImage caption, The five killed in the car crash were Jakub Matusiak, Makai Saddington, Theo Ray, Michael Robert Cahill and Cole Robert WorthyOn Wednesday Natalie McDonald, 34, died along with her seven-year-old niece, Valentina Foster, in the fire in Grangetown.Cleveland Police said the blaze had also left a 48-year-old woman in a critical condition in hospital alongside another three people who suffered non-life threatening injuries.Two men, aged 23 and 31, had been arrested on suspicion of murder and were in police custody, the force said.It said it was "keeping an open mind" about the fire and said it could not "rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time".Follow BBC Tees on X,, external Facebook, external, Nextdoor and Instagram, external and listen to Radio Tees on BBC Sounds. Get in touchDo you have a story suggestion for BBC Tees?Contact formContact formRelated topicsMiddlesbroughCleveland PoliceMore on this storyPCs killed in A66 crash were heroes, say familiesPublished3 days agoWho were the seven killed in wrong-way crash?Published1 day agoRelated internet linksCleveland Police FederationCleveland Police