Police conduct safety checks at Bourke St memorial as tributes cleared

UPDATE: THE Bourke St Mall was shut down this afternoon over a suspicious package. The security scare came as hundreds of flower tributes outside the GPO building were removed.

An object found at the Bourke Street memorial. Picture: Nicole Garmston

THE Bourke St mall was closed off this afternoon after a suspicious package was found during a collection of floral tributes outside the GPO building.

The police Bomb Response Unit attended the scene and declared the package safe, but not before Elizabeth St between Little Bourke St and Little Collins St was closed to all traffic and pedestrians.

H&M evacuated its store while Myer and David Jones closed their front doors to the public during the scare.

The area has since reopened to pedestrians.

The bomb squad was called in to investigate this suspicious package. Picture: Nicole Garmston

The object was found among the floral tributes to the six people killed in the Bourke St massacre.

Volunteers began removing the mass of flowers, soft toys and tributes this morning.

Handwritten messages are most likely to go into an official book of condolence.

An Aboriginal smoking ceremony cleansed the air as the dozens of SES and Red Cross volunteers delicately collected up the wilting flowers, notes and teddies from the memorial.

Bourke Street Memorial flowers before they were removed. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A last look at the floral tribute. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Dozens of helpers removing the flowers. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Toys, photos and written messages were collected and will be preserved, with plans for a permanent memorial considered, Melbourne Council says. Picture: Nicole Garmston

The flowers will be mulched and taken to the Victims of Crime Memorial at Parliament Gardens. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A teddy bear left at the memorial is carefully handled. Picture: Nicole Garmston

They formed a long queue to send each item one-by-one onto waiting trucks as hundreds watched on — many with tears in their eyes.

Last night a Melbourne woman became the sixth person to be killed in the massacre when she died in hospital.

An emotional task for SES volunteers today at #bourkestreet. https://t.co/DaW5IGULfE

— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) January 31, 2017

— with AAP