SCHOOLCHILDREN may hold the key to a 12-year-old's death under the wheels of a bus.

Jamie Wells fell as he attempted to step down from a moving double decker at a road junction, just yards from a stop near his home.

It is understood the 40-year-old woman driver of the number 24 had appealed to youngsters on board to stop "messing about'' shortly before the tragedy, in Middlesbrough.

By the time police arrived at the scene, the children who had been on the Stagecoach service bus had left.

The Goverment's Vehicle Inspectorate is examining the bus, which had travelled along Burlam Road from Acklam and was about to turn on to Roman Road, Linthorpe, when the accident occurred, at about 3.50pm on Friday.

Inspector Steve Lawson, of Cleveland Police crash investigation unit, said: "The doors were open when this happened.

"Clearly, the driver has the ability to open them to let passengers on or off, but it is not only the driver who is able to open the doors. There is a button on the inside which passengers can operate.

"There was an ambulance behind the bus, so people have been on the scene to render first aid and he was transferred to hospital very, very quickly.''

He said: "We know there were a number of school children on the bus and, because it was a service bus, there may well have been adults too."

Insp Lawson urged the children who had not yet comeforward, or their parents, to get in touch.

Jamie is believed to have been going home from Acklam Grange School, Middlesbrough, where he was a pupil. It is thought there were other youngsters on board from Acklam Grange, as well as from neighbouring schools.

Jamie's parents were too upset to speak at their Linthorpe home, but relatives tied flowers to a pole at the accident scene.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to contact Cleveland Police on (01642) 301558.