Residents frustrated over media invasion

Township goes into a self-imposed lock-down after international and national reporters descended on their community

Grafton became the centre of global media attention over the weekend after the revelation that Christchurch gunman Brenton Tarrant grew up in the city. Picture: Bill North

LAWRENCE has gone into a self-imposed lockdown after reporters from across Australia and around the globe descended on the township trying to glean more information about the Tarrant family.

By Saturday morning, visiting reporters had discovered the home of Brenton Tarrant's mother and waited outside the Lawrence property in the hopes of catching a family member. But the property remained vacant.

Clarence Valley residents expressed their frustration on social media about reporters camped out, "sneaking around corners" trying to get a photograph.

One resident called the reporters "hyenas" for waiting all day out the front of the property while others wrote open pleas to leave the family alone.

It is understood reporters approached patrons at Lawrence Tavern and the Lawrence General Store in the hopes of gaining information about the family, resulting in little reward for their efforts.

Despite a lack of information received from residents, by the evening UK newspaper The Daily Mail wrote a story about a dog that appeared on the front veranda of the family's property. The article described the animal as "despondent and sitting a few metres from two empty food bowls."

Lawrence has been in the spotlight before. In 2015, national reporters came to learn more about the disappearance of Sharon Edwards and then suspect, estranged husband John Edwards.

Originally published as Residents frustrated over media invasion