Glasgow bin lorry crash: Disciplinary investigation into driver Harry Clarke 'postponed because of his ill-health'

Harry Clarke crashed into a crowd of shoppers, killing six people

People lay floral tributes near to the scene of the bin lorry crash, a day after the tragedy on 23 December, 2014 in Glasgow (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

An investigation into possible gross misconduct by the driver of a bin lorry who killed six people in Glasgow last year has reportedly been postponed due to his ill-health.

Harry Clarke blacked out at the wheel of the vehicle and ploughed into a crowd of shoppers in the busy Scottish city, days before Christmas in December 2014.

Glasgow City Council suspended the 58-year-old driver last month pending a full disciplinary investigation into the incident. The probe was due to begin after evidence to an inquiry into the crash was completed on 28 August.

However, it has since emerged that the local authority has paused the proceedings against Mr Clarke, after he said he was not medically fit to take part, Sky News has reported.

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The authority is entitled to seek a second opinion from a doctor other than Mr Clarke’s GP on his health, in which case the investigation can proceed.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council told The Independent: “We cannot comment on individual employees and we will not be giving a running commentary on disciplinary matters.”

The reports come after a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the crash heard that Mr Clarke did not disclose his full medical history when completing a health questionnaire as part of his job application, or to the DVLA.

As the inquiry closed, Scottish prosecutors concluded that they were “duty bound” not to charge Mr Clarke for dangerous driving because of insufficient evidence, The Guardian reported.

They explained that as his last blackout was over four years ago and doctors had cleared him to drive, he could not have known he would faint at the wheel that day.