21 June 2023 , 18:34
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A prisoner has been engaged for hours in a dramatic stand-off with police on the roof of a notorious jail - wearing just his pants.
Three officers in riot gear and a negotiator have been dealing with the incident at HMP Frankland in County Durham since around 7pm.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed staff are "urgently" trying to bring the inmate, pictured wielding what appears to be a crowbar, down
"Staff are urgently working to bring the prisoner down safely," a Prison Service spokesperson said tonight.
It confirmed to Mirror negotiations were ongoing at 10pm.
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Images taken by Chronicle Live which show a man lying on the roof of the prison wearing only his underpants and black trainers as he talks to the officers below. Footage, taken by the publication, also captures the tense showdown.
A rooftop protest at a jail is ongoing (Newcastle Chronicle)No further details about the nature of the protest have been confirmed at this stage.
But photos show the man is carrying what appears to be a crowbar as he sits on the building.
The high-security prison holds Category A, Category A High Risk and Category B adult males. The prison is located in the village of Brasside in County Durham.
Officers negotiate with the prisoner on the roof (Newcastle Chronicle)It is home to more than 800 prisoners and has been dubbed "Monster Mansion" due to many of its inmates being convicted murderers, high-risk sex offenders and those convicted of terrorism-related offences.
The man appears to wave a crowbar during the showdown (Newcastle Chronicle)It was reported in April prisoners there, where killers Ian Huntley, Levi Bellfield and Wayne Couzens are housed, were getting phones installed in their cells.
Some called it a "terrible" idea and said the scheme could be "abused".