Stars turn out to mourn Hutchence in Sydney

The funeral of the singer Michael Hutchence took place yesterday in Australia, watched by millions of viewers who saw it broadcast live. The coffin was draped with 500 irises and a single tiger-lily, representing the singer's 16-month-old daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, who was cradled by her mother, Paula Yates.

Fans gathered outside Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral to pay respects. One was removed from the church by police after reportedly trying to jump from a balcony in an apparent suicide attempt. Mourners included Kylie Minogue, Tom Jones, Diana Ross and Nick Cave, who sang the song "Into my arms" as part of the service.

Ms Yates did not wear the wedding-dress she had hoped to don in January for her marriage to Hutchence and which she had said she would dye black for the funeral. Instead she wore a sleeveless, knee-length white-floral- patterned black dress.

The decision to broadcast the service live was criticised by members of Hutchence's band, INXS, who said it would not have been what he would have wanted. He was found hanged in Sydney on Saturday in his suite at a hotel. He had arrived in Australia three days earlier for the start of INXS's 20th-anniversary tour.

Ian Burrell