A FORMER University of Worcester student who now lives in Australia has spoken of the “sense of community” in the country following the Sydney siege tragedy.

Lorna Anne, 22, of Canberra, saw first-hand how Australians followed the shocking story 24/7 on news channels, watching interviews with friends of the hostages, messages from the Prime Minister and later emotional footage of the Lindt café memorial covered in flowers.

She said: “What struck me most was the sense of community that Sydney expressed after such a devastating incident.

“The people of the city pulled together in their grief and showed that change was needed.

“They've been really active in their approach which has spread worldwide through forms of social media, such as the #illridewithyou twitter campaign in order to stop racism.

“But the event also posed questions on how Monis could have so easily slipped through authority’s fingers even though he had such a violent history.”