'I was waking up crying' - Plymouth resident says Keyham tragedy continues to cause pain and trauma

A student nurse who was among the first on the scene of last summer's tragedy in Plymouth has opened up about how the incident still causes her anxiety and sleepless nights.

Hannah Cutting lived in Keyham on August 12 last year when five people were shot and killed by a gunman who then turned the weapon on himself.

Hannah, who was driving through the area when the incident happened, said: "It was obviously something pretty big.

"People were out on the streets, everybody was just walking around frantically, not knowing if they should be in their homes or seeking refuge elsewhere. It all happened incredibly fast.

"I had lived there for a long time, walked around much of the time on my own, through those very parks, on that very route.

"It felt incredibly weird to see what we considered a safe, quiet community all over the headlines."

Tomorrow the city will mark one year since the tragedy, paying tribute to those who were killed and injured.

Hannah said: "Even though I didn't know (the victims) well, I was often crying. It was like I was mourning somebody I knew. But we were mourning as a whole in Plymouth.

"Life carries on to a degree. Sometimes you forget things. But it's still incredibly fresh, a huge thing for everybody to go through. We need to be there for one another. Although I do feel differently, I don't feel any less sad and hurt."

Hannah says she still feels nervous while walking around the area.

"I think it has stuck with people in many different ways," she said. "I think it will take a long time to move past these fears. It really did shake that foundation that Plymouth has."

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating whether officers or staff should face disciplinary action over their interaction with the gunman in the year leading up to the incident.

The watchdog will release its report after the inquests, which are due to take place in January next year.