The driver of the bin lorry that crashed in George Square will not face charges.

Harry Clarke, an experienced professional driver for many years, was behind the wheel when the bin lorry crashed in George Square,injuring ten people and killing six on Monday, December 22.

The Crown Office has now confirmed that he will not face charges and Glasgow City Council will not face any health and safety charges over the incident.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry will be held to establish exactly what happened.

It comes after senior prosecutors examined the police report into the tragedy which left six people dead on December 22 last year.

In a statement, the Crown Office said: "Following the road traffic incident involving a bin lorry in Glasgow City Centre on December 22nd 2014 a Police Scotland inquiry, under the direction of the Crown Office, began immediately into the cause of the crash in which six people died and ten were injured.

"A police report on the investigation was received by the Crown Office on 29th January.

"The Police report has now been carefully considered by Crown Counsel - the most senior lawyers within the Crown Office.

"Crown Counsel have concluded that the driver of the lorry should not be prosecuted in respect of this tragic incident.

"Despite its catastrophic consequences there is no evidence to suggest that the driver's conduct at the time amounted to a breach of the criminal law.

"There is no evidence to support a prosecution of Glasgow City Council in respect of any Health and Safety concerns breaches in Health and Safety law.

"Crown Counsel have decided that a Fatal Accident Inquiry should be held into the causes of this tragedy to ensure that there can be a full public hearing of the facts of the case.

"The Crown Office will petition the court within two weeks of today's decision to hold an FAI to ensure that the inquiry is held as soon as possible.

"The specialist Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) within Crown Office has been responsible for overseeing the investigation into the deaths which occurred as a result of the Glasgow bin lorry incident.

"David Green, Head of SFIU will now lead the preparation for the FAI. He will liaise with the families of those involved to keep them fully informed and answer any questions they may have about the process in the run up to or during the FAI.

"A Fatal Accident inquiry is held into cases where a death or deaths were sudden, suspicious, or unexplained or occurred in circumstances such as to give rise to serious public concern and where it appears to the Lord Advocate to be appropriate that an Inquiry should be held into the circumstances.

"The next of kin of those who died in the incident have been informed of the decision not to bring a prosecution but to hold a Fatal Accident Inquiry to determine the cause of the crash and establish what lessons can be learned from this tragic incident."

Erin McQuade, 18, and her grandparents, Jack Sweeney, 68, and his 69-year-old wife Lorraine, all from Dumbarton, died in the incident.

Primary school teacher Stephenie Tait, 29, and tax worker Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, were also killed when the truck mounted the pavement before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel in George Square.

Patrick McGuire, a partner with Thompsons Solicitors, said: "This announcement from the Crown Office is very welcome. It begins the process of finding out what happened to cause this terrible accident which is of the greatest importance to the victims and their relatives.

"My clients and I are particularly heartened that the Crown has moved so quickly towards convening a Fatal Accident Inquiry.

"It has often been the case that years can pass before a FAI is set up, if indeed one is set up at all. This leads to further anguish to victims and their families. Therefore the Crown Office is to be commended for it's swift action which reflects the huge public concern about this accident."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "We will provide any assistance that the inquiry needs."

Elaine Russell, a partner and specialist serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell Scotland's Glasgow office, is representing victims injured in the Glasgow bin lorry crash and is also continuing to work on behalf of those bereaved and injured in the Clutha helicopter crash in November 2013.

She said: "Through our work we know how desperate a huge number of people are for answers regarding how this terrible incident happened - not just those involved and the bereaved families, but the city of Glasgow as a whole.

"News of the FAI is very welcome but time is absolutely of the essence and the inquiry must happen as soon as possible. There remains a huge number of questions about what happened and it is key that action is taken to understand what can be done to prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again.

"Work must also continue to ensure that victims and any witnesses to the crash are receiving appropriate counselling and support to help them come to terms with what happened."