The families of two students who died after a driver blacked out at the wheel and careered on to a pavement have launched a private prosecution against him.

Friends Laura Stewart, 20, and Mhairi Convy, 18, were walking on North Hanover Street in Glasgow on December 17, 2010 when a Range Rover lost control, mounted the kerb and hit them.

Driver William Payne, who was 50 at the time of the crash, was accused of causing death by driving while uninsured but charges against him were later dropped.

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the deaths heard that in the three years before the crash, Mr Payne had suffered six blackouts.

The Crown Office confirmed on Thursday that the lord advocate has received a bill of criminal letters as the families begin the first steps in a private prosecution bid against Payne.

A Crown Office spokesman said: "The lord advocate has received a Bill of Criminal Letters and will give it due consideration.

"The Crown position on this will be made clear to the families and the court when appropriate."

It comes after lawyers for the family of three of the Glasgow bin lorry victims took the first step to privately prosecute driver Harry Clarke.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that a Bill of Criminal letters was lodged over that incident with the lord advocate Frank Mulholland.

The inquiry into the deaths of Ms Stewart and Ms Convy found five "reasonable precautions" could have prevented the fatal accident, which happened when Mr Payne suffered a "vasovagal episode" and temporarily lost consciousness at the wheel.

These included for Mr Payne to have notified the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about his blackouts after a loss of consciousness on June 5, 2009 and for him to have attended the appointment made for him with a consultant at a hospital on September 17 that year for further examination about black outs.

Another step would have been for him to have disclosed "accurate and complete information" about his history of blackouts at a medical examination on July 2, 2010 in connection with an application for renewal of his Group 2 (HGV) driving licence.