A new date for the first public hearing in the investigation into the Edinburgh trams fiasco has been set.

It follows a postponement in August when inquiry chairman Lord Hardie was taken to hospital.

The preliminary hearing of the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry will now take place on Tuesday, October 6.

During the hearing, Lord Hardie will announce details of individuals and organisations who have been designated as "core participants", such as Edinburgh City Council.

Lord Hardie will also make an opening statement in which he will reveal the progress of the inquiry and set out his process for conducting the next stage, but will not take evidence from witnesses.

The trams started running in 2014 after six years of disruption in the Scottish capital.

The project cost £776 million. The original cost was £545m and the first trams arrived three years late.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the preliminary hearing in Edinburgh, however seating capacity is limited and access will be granted on a first come, first served basis.

The hearing at Waverley Gate, Waterloo Place, will begin at 10.30am and is expected to last around two hours.

A spokesman for the 69-year-old former Lord Advocate said earlier he had been recuperating after a short hospital stay.

The work of Lord Hardie’s inquiry team continued during that time "in line with the published order of events", the spokesman said.