Edinburgh City Council's former transport convener was "shocked" to learn officials knew about problems with the trams project months before councillors were told.

Lesley Hinds has told an inquiry the city's Labour group was particularly frustrated by the lack of information it was given in the early stages.

She was giving evidence at the judge-led Edinburgh Trams inquiry on Wednesday, which aims to establish why the £776m project was delivered years late and over budget.

Ms Hinds was the city's transport convener between 2012 and this year.

She told Lord Hardie's inquiry council officers had not been open about issues and delays with the trams project when her party were in opposition.

Ms Hinds claimed on one occasion one officer put his hand on another's shoulder to stop him giving the councillor more information.

She said: "I have a very clear memory... one officer went to give us more information, another one said no and put his hand on his shoulder.

"It was very clear in my mind at that point that we weren't getting enough information."

Ms Hinds also told the inquiry officers had known about problems with the trams for "months and months" before councillors were told.

She said: "When I was interviewed there were many documents and emails that I was showed that I had certainly never seen before...

"I was shocked officers had known for months and months that there had been a real problem with the tram project."

Ms Hinds said the then council leader Jenny Dawe "should have got more involved" and taken the issue "by the scruff of the neck".

She further told the inquiry that she and her Labour colleagues were "very frustrated that there was no political leadership" from the council administration when the dispute with contractors emerged in 2009.

During Tuesday's evidence at the inquiry, Ms Dawe said there had been a "shroud of secrecy" over parts of the project.

She insisted the alleged lack of information did not affect the council's decision-making process.

Lord Hardie's inquiry is due to continue hearing evidence from witnesses for several months and has already reviewed more than six million documents.

It takes place as the council debates extending the tram line to Newhaven in the north of the city via Leith Walk.

If approved, the £165m proposal could mean passengers would use the new tramline in 2022.