Charges of child cruelty have been dropped against the driver and passenger of a car allegedly involved in an accident which claimed the life of a six-year-old girl.

Leonie Shaw died after being struck by a car as she tried to cross the A688 near her home in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Colin Meek, 34, and Emma Lee, 21, of Salvin Street, Spennymoor, yesterday made their second appearance before Sedgefield magistrates, sitting at Newton Aycliffe,

Meek had originally been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, cruelty to children, failure to stop and failure to report an accident, driving without insurance and being an unaccompanied provisional licence holder.

Lee faced two charges, one of cruelty to children and one of aiding and abetting the failure to stop after an accident.

But yesterday, prosecutor Steven Orange told the court the Crown Prosecution Service would not be pursuing the child cruelty charges.

Meek was further remanded in custody for a preliminary hearing at Teesside Crown Court on April 30.

Lee, who now faces a single charge of aiding and abetting the failure to stop after an accident, was further remanded in custody to appear before magistrates on Friday.