BIN lorry crash driver Harry Clarke told Glasgow City Council he would be an "asset" to them when he applied for a job, an inquiry has heard. 

The Fatal Accident Inquiry into the George Square crash in which six people died last December heard that he told the local authority, when applying for a job in 2010, that he would be an "asset" to them. 

The inquiry was shown the application form he filled in when applying for a job to drive a mini bus for children with special needs. 

In it he said that he had experience of "looking after elderly and disabled passengers". 

Mr Clarke also described himself as "fit" and "reliable".

He wrote: "I hope you will consider me for an interview as I would be an asset to your department at 53 years of age."

In the application form, which is dated July 14, 2010, Mr Clarke also said that he had been a professional driver for 33 years with "no serious endorsements".

He added: "I have worked driving buses in Glasgow for 10 years."

Mr Clarke also said he had three penalty points on his licence which dated back to 2008.

He gave his previous employment as an LGV driver with haulage form DHL which he said he was made redundant from and before that he worked as a general haulage worker but left that job for "better propects". 

At the end of the application, Mr Clarke signed a declaration which stated that "any false information or omissions may lead to dismissal". 

The FAI earlier heard that he was suspended from his job as a bus driver when he took a job with Glasgow City Council.

The inquiry was shown Mr Clarke's employment record from his time with First Bus.

This showed that on December 29, 2010, Mr Clarke received a letter to advise that he was suspended from duty for being "ahead of time" - arriving at a bus stop before announced time - and he was required to attend a hearing on December 31, 2010.

The inquiry was told that Mr Clarke did not attend this hearing because he handed in his notice.

He started working for Glasgow City Council on January 5, 2011.

The inquiry heard that there is no reference to the First Bus suspension in Mr Clarke's council employment record. 

There is also no reference to Mr Clarke being give a "final formal written warning" by First Bus bosses for absence in November 2009. 

This related to 10 days absence for "stress". 

In documentation shown to the inquiry, Mr Clarke appealed the disciplinary action.

He wrote that it was "too severe" and said: "The doctor was going to give me a month off but I said 10 days because of my work. Big mistake."

The inquiry was shown a letter from bosses informing Mr Clarke that his appeal against this warning was refused.

Ronald Conway, who represents the family of crash victim Stephenie Tait, said that references detailing these disciplinary matters were not included in Mr Clarke's council records. 

He said: "Someone has blundered.

"Either someone in First Bus has singularly failed in their duty to members of the public or Glasgow City Council carried out a grossly incompetent reference process."

Council operations manager, and Mr Clarke's boss, Douglas Gellan that he would have "hoped" that the council had made the appropriate inquiries but did not know for sure. 

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The inquiry also heard that Glasgow City Council used out of date guidance to carry out a risk assessment of the bin lorry crash route. 

Mark Stewart QC, who is representing the families of three crash victims, said that the standard applied to the risk assessment of the route taken by the lorry was "superseded" in 2008.

He said a "simple Internet search" threw up the new information.

During the cross examination of witness Douglas Gellan, a cleansing manager with the council's Land and Environmental Services, Mr Stewart pointed out that the risk assessment was not independently checked. 

He asked if Mr Gellan knew that the standard applied to the risk assessment - which the inquiry heard made no mention of Queen Street, the scene of the tragedy - was "withdrawn in 2008".

He said he did not.

Mr Stewart said: "I don't know whether PS18004 2008 a [the most recent standard] is a better standard, a worse standard or an identical standard."

Mr Gellan said he did not know either. 

Mr Stewart asked: "Do you not think that you should KNOW?"

Mr Gellan said that he wasn't working to this standard.

The QC said: "If you are not working to the one in force, this shows a lack of preparation."

Sheriff John Beckett asked Mr Stewart if he did not know the details of the new standard, how he could justify raising this with the   witness. 

Mr Stewart said: "If he doesn't know that the standard he is applying is the standard to be applied then that can be categorised as a lack of care."

He said that the argument that Glasgow City Council has "exercised diligence" is "undermined" if they do not keep on top of guidance.

The inquiry also heard that the risk assessment for the route driven by Harry Clarke, referred to as "route two" or the "middle ground" made no mention of Queen Street where six people lost their lives when a lorry veered out of control on December 22.  

And it was not revised to take into account the large Christmas Fair that was taking place in George Square on the day of the crash.

Mr Gellan, who chairs a risk assessment board, was asked about specific instructions on the assessment, shown to the court.

Mr Gellan admitted he was "not sure" about the definition of one of the symbols, when questioned by Mark Stewart QC.

Mr Stewart asked: "The symbol with a circle and two arrows, do you understand what that means?"

Mr Gellan said he was "not sure" but thought it identified a narrow lane. 

He was not able to confirm which street this applied to. 

The inquiry heard that the streets the lorry drives through on route to bin collections is not detailed. 

Mr Stewart said: "This is nothing but a list of pick up points and the particular issueS highlighted in relation to the points themselves."

Mr Gellan disagreed. 

Mr Stewart said: "If this is badly done, whose head rolls?"

Mr Gellan replied that he was "partly responsible".

Watch The George Square incident as it unfolded: