At least five more hostages have fled the scene of the siege at the cafe in Sydney, Australia.

Australian media has named the hostage-taker in Sydney as Man Haron Monis.

An employee of the cafe at the centre of the Sydney siege said her “heart just sank” when she recognised three of the hostages on television.

Hostages in the Sydney cafe siege have reportedly been forced to call a number of media outlets in Australia.

A major police operation is under way in downtown Sydney, where several people inside a chocolate shop and cafe could be seen through the windows with their hands held in the air.