The dramatic moment the Sydney siege came to a bloody end

The dramatic moment armed police brought the Sydney siege to a bloody end has been caught on camera.

As soon as a police marksman uttered the words "hostage down", an assault team immediately stormed the building to the sound of rapid gunfire and loud bangs.

It took just 34 seconds to end the near 17-hour siege.

The silence afterwards was interrupted by hostages' screams for help.

ITV News Senior International Correspondent John Irvine reports:

Throughout the long ordeal, hostages were forced to hold a black flag emblazoned with Arabic writing and relay the demands of their captor, Man Horan Monis.

The siege ended in the deaths of two hostages - mother-of-three Katrina Johnson and cafe manager Tori Johnson.

ITV News' John Irvine says the attack has been a hard learning experience for the Australian public and security services.

"This has been a hard learning experience for the Australian public and the police still working at the crime scene," he said.

"Not since the Bali bombing has the sense of loss been so profound.

"Any feeling of immunity or vulnerability that Australians enjoyed at home is now gone."