Bin Lorry Crash Inquiry Told Crews Faced "Verbal Threats"

Large bin lorries have been removed from busy Glasgow city centre locations after some crews faced "verbal threats'' in the wake of a crash that killed six people, a fatal accident inquiry has heard.

Collections by the council's largest vehicles in pedestrian precincts are now only carried out between 7am and 8am or between midnight and 5am.

Six people died three days before Christmas last year when a bin lorry lost control on Queen Street and mounted the pavement.

The inquiry, being held at Glasgow Sheriff Court, was set up to explore driver Harry Clarke's health, the lorry and its route.

Giving evidence today, Douglas Gellan, 48, cleaning services waste manager at the council, was asked by Solicitor General Lesley Thomson QC if any changes had been made since the fatal crash in December.

He said: "Specific changes have been for squads in the city centre. We have removed large vehicles from pedestrian precincts like Sauchiehall Street, Argyll Street and Buchanan Street at busier times.

"What was happening was we were aware of sensitivities of the public in the city centre when they saw crews.

"We swapped smaller vehicles and were monitoring our crews and some crews came in for verbal threats.''

Mr Gellan added that the decision was made for "sensitivity'' rather than a change in route assessments.

The 48-year-old, who has worked for the council for more than 30 years, was also asked about risk assessment forms.

He said changes were sometimes made on routes because of events or parades but there were no seasonal changes because "Christmas time is like a Saturday afternoon, it's very, very busy''.

Mr Gellan also said drivers plotted the route a bin lorry would take and relied on their "training and experience'' to overcome any changes caused by weather, roadworks or other obstacles.

Erin McQuade, 18, and her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and Lorraine Sweeney, 69, from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, were struck and killed by the lorry on December 22.

Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, also died.