A woman bus driver has appeared in court charged with causing a boy's death by dangerous driving. Deborah Susan White, 40, of Hollinside Road, Billingham, made a brief appearance at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

She is charged with causing the death of 12-year-old Jamie Wells by dangerous driving in March this year. Ms White spoke only to confirm her name and address. The case was adjourned until August 15 when a plea and directions hearing will be held and Ms White was released on bail.

Demolition work: Demolition work began this week on a former Bedale fire station which was found to have major structural faults. Firefighters moved out of the 1950s building and have set up a temporary base at the back of Bedale Hall, while their new station, off the Wynd, is built. The joint police and fire station is expected to open before the end of the year.

DANCE PERFORMANCE: Higher National Diploma students from Newcastle College are celebrating after being offered places at dance schools. Greer Vinart, of Southport and Nichol Watson, of Sunderland, have been offered places at the London Studio Centre; Alex Nichols, of Warwick, has been accepted by the Larban Centre of Dance; and Gemma Wynne and Vicky Gray, from Jarrow, will join Gemma Kempstone, of Cornwall, at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

PRODUCER VISITS: David Parfitt, the producer of multi-Oscar winning film Shakespeare in Love, will be at a different sort of premiere today when he launches the University of Sunderland's 2002 Arts, Design and Media degree show. Student artists are hoping his magic touch will have art fans queueing around the block. The degree show features the final-year work of over 100 students.

FINAL REUNION: The final reunion of former soldiers of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers will be held in Newcastle at the weekend. It will start with service of celebration in St Nicholas's Cathedral, Newcastle, 11.25am, on Sunday. Five hundred former fusiliers and their wives will be attending. Following the service, the former soldiers will parade.

Flypast tribute: A flypast will take place over RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire today to mark the 87th anniversary of the XXV (F) Squadron. It will last for eight minutes and consist of three passes by four aircraft at heights not below 500ft.

crossing closure: Drivers in the Northallerton area are being warned of the temporary closure of the level crossing in Springwell Lane, Castle Hills. The work is scheduled from tomorrow until Wednesday, but is expected to be carried out between 10.30pm tomorrow and 8am on Sunday. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.

TRUST MEETS: The next board meeting of South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust takes place at 10.30am in the Postgraduate Lecture Room at The Friarage Hospital, Northallerton, on Tuesday, July 2. All are welcome to attend.