Donations to the families of the two policemen killed by a 'joyrider' gang hurtling the wrong way down the A66 have topped £750,000.It comes as six people remain in custody as part of a police investigation into the organised crime police believed backdropped Saturday's catastrophic crash, which killed seven.And two very different vigils were staged yesterday to remember the officers and the five youths: one a sober moment of reflection, the other a tasteless charade of revving motorbikes and flares.Cleveland Police set up a GoFundMe appeal to raise money for the grieving families of PC Clough, 38, and PC Blades, 37, who were killed when a VW Passat fresh from a police pursuit smashed head-on into their vehicle.By the early hours of Monday, a staggering £750,000 had been donated by the public, while a separate appeal established by Pocket Sergeant had gathered another £40,000.The force's accompanying tribute reads: 'PC Matt Blades and PC Tom Clough were both dedicated and committed Police Officers who left their families and went to work to serve their community and protect the public.'Tragedy struck these two brave Cleveland Police colleagues in the early hours of 22nd August 2026 - and they paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.'In the wake of the crash, several videos posted to social media surfaced that appeared to show members of the gang in previous police chases, and it emerged that a second vehicle, a Volvo XC60, had been witnessed ramming houses in Middlesbrough on the same night. PC Matthew Blades, a father of two, was killed when his police vehicle was struck head-on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 near Middlesbrough PC Tom Clough also died in the crash, which occurred around 10 seconds after a police pursuit of the Volkswagen had been called off. Police said they believe the activities of the two cars were linked, and that both were using cloned number plates to avoid detection.It was separately revealed that four of the youngsters killed in the Passat had extensive criminal records - 37 convictions among them - including for drug offences, assault and robbery.Cleveland Police have concluded that Saturday's disaster may have been a symptom of a wave of organised crime plaguing Teesside.In a bid to crack down, the force arrested a dozen people - nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61 - on suspicion of a range of offences including being part of an organised crime group, gun possession and criminal damage.As of Monday afternoon, five had been remanded in police custody, one had been recalled to prison, five had been released on bail, and the fate of one was unclear.Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, leading the investigation, said: 'We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice.'Our robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come, as we continue to tackle those that seek to cause harm to our communities and tackle serious and organised crime.' Balaclava-clad youths, flares in hand, gathered on Monday in a field in South Bank, Middlesbrough to perform a tribute to five suspected 'joyriders'. Scores of people held orange flares aloft in a field in South Bank, Middlesborough, to mark the deaths of the five joyriders A group of masked bikers tore around the field and joined in with the pyrotechnics The memorial began as a balloon release but descended into noise and confusion The vigil to remember the two constables who lost their lives was a much more sober affair