Balaclava-clad youths have sparked anger after setting off flares and fireworks in a noisy tribute to the ‘joyriders’ who killed two police officers on the A66.The chaos last night came in stark contrast to a silent prayer vigil hosted in a nearby church to honour PC Tom Clough and PC Matthew Blades.Friends and family of Jakub Matusiak, 23, decided to gather at a field in South Bank, Middlesbrough, just yards from the scene of Saturday’s catastrophic collision – caused by the gang hurtling the wrong way down the dual carriageway.What began as a balloon release descended into a confusion of smoke and noise when attendees lit up the sky with flares and rockets.A gang of around 20 masked youths on motorbikes and quad bikes roared around the field in honour of Matusiak, who himself had convictions for motoring offences.Footage showed dozens of flares being held aloft, filling the field with dense orange fog, as bikes revved their engines and blared their horns.The scenes sparked anger, with onlookers accusing the crowds of showing ‘disrespect of the highest order’.It comes as police continue to investigate the lead-up to Saturday’s crash.Nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, have so far been arrested on suspicion of offences ranging from possession of a firearm to drugs possession.Several were arrested on suspicion of links to organised crime – and police are investigating reports of a second car, a Volvo XC60, which was seen ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area on Saturday.Two houses were previously rammed by vehicles earlier this month in what police described at the time as ‘targeted and linked’ attacks. Scores of people yesterday 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 affairHundreds of people took to social media to criticise yesterday's scenes. Diane Pennock said: 'I get it that their family's and friends will be devastated and grieving but surely in circumstances where they have killed two innocent men who were simply out doing their jobs, you grieve in private? 'To me, the public show of grief is completely excusing what they have done and that they have taken two young men's lives who had families and children they should of gone home to.'Writing on Facebook, Wendy Allington, accused the mourners of showing 'disrespectot the highest level for the two murdered policemen' and said a quiet vigil would have been more appropriate. The balloon release was also criticised by environmental campaigners, who insist the plastic in balloons spreads pollution that risks harming wildlife. Balloons can block animals' digestive and respiratory tracts, causing them to die a slow and painful death. Plenty of the residents of the surrounding streets chose not to attend the memorial events. Looking at the police officers standing beside their vehicles, a 58-year-old grandmother said: 'What must they be thinking right now? This is nothing but a mockery of the lives of those two policemen.'I've watched them walking down there drinking and smoking weed and razzing about on their motorbikes. There's nothing here to celebrate.' Just down the road, locals mourning the lives of the two constables quietly filed into St John The Evangelist Church.Among them was Redcar’s Labour MP Anna Turley, who said: 'I thought it was really important to come together. I was really pleased that the church has opened themselves up for the community to come together, because it's such a devastating incident. Family and friends of Matusiak, 23, decided to gather on the South Bank Back Field yesterday 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.