Four schools have said they will close early on Friday amid safety concerns over a funeral linked to a crash which killed seven people.

It is understood the funeral of Jakub Matusiak, 23, one of five young men killed in the head-on collision with a marked police car on the A66, is due to take place in Middlesbrough.

The crash happened near South Bank on 22 August when a Volkswagen Passat travelled the wrong way on the dual carriageway and hit a police car. Two police officers in the vehicle, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were also killed.

Head teachers warned parents large crowds were expected to gather in the South Bank area for the funeral, with traffic disruption likely.