Knife gangs in Middlesbrough offered mental health diversion, Wales 2026

Key Points

• Cleveland Police’s Divert programme provides first-time and minor offenders in Middlesbrough the opportunity to get out of prosecution by admitting to having possession of blades and/or drugs and expressing their repentance and signing an agreement promising not to offend again.
• The offenders will be steered towards using “pathways” such as mental health services, substance abuse rehabilitation, education and housing support, in collaboration with the Probation Service.
• During the period from April 2025 to March 2026, there were 322 individuals who enrolled in Divert, while only 19 were recorded to have weapons or bladed articles, according to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland.
• The programme has attracted fierce criticism from Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who labelled it as “soft justice at its worst” in light of the recent spate of gang-related attacks and nine deaths that have occurred in the Cleveland region over the past few days.
• Matt Storey, the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, has defended the programme, pointing out that the reoffending rate among Divert offenders is only 4.7%, while it is 32.9% for all offenders in Cleveland.
• This program follows the deployment of more than 300 officers from other forces to Middlesbrough as a result of suspected gang-related incidents which followed the death of two police officers in a head-on collision on the A66 on 22 August 2026.

Wales Crime (Wales Times) August 29, 2026 – Knife gangs in Middlesbrough are being offered the option to avoid jail if they accept mental health support under Cleveland Police’s Divert programme, which directs eligible offenders away from prosecution and towards support addressing the “root causes of their offending behaviour”. As reported by GB News, the scheme allows offenders who admit possessing blades or drugs to avoid prosecution by being directed to support programmes instead, with the stated aim to “steer first-time and low-level offenders away from the criminal justice system”. According to official documents cited by The Telegraph, participants must first admit their offending, show remorse and sign a statement vowing not to reoffend.

How does the Divert scheme work in practice?

The Divert programme, which has been operating for eight years, provides what are described as “pathway” supports including help with mental health, substance misuse, education or housing problems instead of charging and prosecuting offenders. As reported by The Telegraph, the scheme is run in partnership with the Probation Service and offers criminals the chance to “repay the community”, with offenders encouraged to meet with their victims as part of “restorative justice” initiatives, although neither of these requirements are compulsory. One official document states: “Cleveland Divert aims to steer first time and low-level offenders away from the criminal justice system and towards support. It also signposts offenders towards help to address the problems, which lead to offending.”

Between 2018 and 2025, the Divert programme had 1,853 participants, according to reports cited by the Express. For the period between April 2025 and March 2026, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland said only 19 of the 322 Divert participants had been carrying a weapon or bladed article.

What do critics say about the programme?

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has criticised the Divert programme as “soft justice at its worst”, telling The Telegraph: “Criminals should face prosecution and prison, not a cosy chat with a counsellor.” He added: “The outbreak of lawlessness and gang violence in Cleveland, which has seen nine deaths in the last few days alone, shows this approach is failing. The Labour Police and Crime Commissioner is part of the problem. We need a zero tolerance approach to crime and criminals.”

Andy Preston, Middlesbrough’s former mayor, said this week that criminals were seen as “untouchable” and that the recent disorder was the result of “years of being soft” towards offenders, according to The Telegraph.

How do supporters defend the Divert initiative?

Matt Storey, Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, has attributed a drop in reoffending rates to the programme, with just 4.7% of participants reoffending compared to 32.9% of all criminals in the area, as reported by the Express. A spokesman for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland said: “Considering current demand on the criminal justice system, including significant strains on the prison system, there is a growing need to consider options to resolve less serious crimes without a court process.”

The spokesman added: “Cases eligible for diversion schemes and out of court resolutions are carefully considered by police officers, considering the severity of the offence, the history of the offender and the wishes of the victim. An independent scrutiny panel examines the use out of court resolutions by Cleveland Police.”

What is the wider crime context in Cleveland?

The area covered by Cleveland Police, which includes Middlesbrough, has the highest crime rate in England and Wales, with 123.4 recorded crimes per 1,000 population in the year to March 2026, according to the latest available Home Office figures cited by GB News. This is significantly higher than the next highest force, West Yorkshire (107.9), as well as Greater Manchester (103.7) and the Metropolitan Police (101.0), with the rate for the whole of England and Wales standing at 84.7 per 1,000 population.

Cleveland also tops the list in various categories of crime, including shoplifting (15.9 recorded offences per 1,000 people), criminal damage and arson (15.0 per 1,000), violence with injury (12.6 per 1,000), burglary (6.1 per 1,000) and sexual offences (five per 1,000). Middlesbrough overtook Blackpool as the part of England with the highest crime rate outside of central London this year, according to the Express.

What recent events have intensified scrutiny?

The Divert programme has come under intensified scrutiny following a wave of suspected gang-related violence in Middlesbrough since two police officers, PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, were killed in a head-on collision with joyriders on the A66 on 22 August 2026. More than 300 officers from other forces have been drafted into the area to contain the unrest, in which a seven-year-old girl and her aunt died in a house fire, a man was attacked with a knife and vehicles “rammed” several houses.

Cleveland Police said it has been tackling organised crime in the wake of the A66 crash, which left seven dead, and some 24 people had been arrested in the crackdown, according to the Express. Officers said four men, aged 35, 25, 40 and 21, were being held on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life after a vehicle crashed into a house in Steele Crescent, Middlesbrough, on Thursday morning. They were also being questioned over alleged arson after a caravan was set alight in Atlee Road on Wednesday morning, and a drugs offence.

Background of the particular development

The Divert programme was launched eight years ago and has had 1,853 participants between 2018 and 2025, providing “pathway” support including help with mental health instead of prosecution for “first time and low-level offenders”. The scheme was designed to address the underlying causes of offending behaviour by offering support rather than immediate prosecution, with eligibility criteria requiring offenders to admit their offending, show remorse and sign a statement promising not to reoffend. The initiative reflects a broader trend in criminal justice policy towards diversion schemes for low-level offenders, particularly in areas facing significant pressures on the prison system and criminal justice resources.

Prediction: How this development can affect young people and communities in Middlesbrough

The continuation or expansion of the Divert programme could have significant implications for young people and communities in Middlesbrough, particularly given the area’s status as having the highest crime rate in England and Wales. If the programme’s reported reoffending rate of 4.7% among participants holds, it could potentially reduce the number of young people entering the criminal justice system for low-level offences, thereby breaking cycles of offending that might otherwise lead to more serious criminal behaviour. However, critics argue that the perception of “soft justice” could undermine deterrence, particularly in an environment where gang-related violence has already resulted in nine deaths in recent days.

For young people in Middlesbrough, the availability of mental health support and other pathways through Divert could provide crucial early intervention for those at risk of becoming involved in knife crime or drug offences. Yet the effectiveness of this approach will likely depend on the quality and accessibility of the support services offered, as well as the willingness of offenders to engage meaningfully with the programme. Communities may see either a reduction in low-level offending if the programme succeeds in addressing root causes, or increased frustration if the perception grows that serious offenders are not being held adequately accountable.