Prisoners armed with metal poles scale roof of maximum security prison
Three prisoners scaled the roof of a maximum security prison this afternoon, sparking a three-hour standoff with police.
The men were first seen on the roof of Port Phillip Prison about 3pm.
Prisoners on the roof of Port Phillip Prison on Thursday afternoon.Credit:Nine News
They were armed with what appeared to be metal poles, which they were throwing in the direction of police officers on the ground.
About 6pm, the men came down from the roof one by one, where they were handcuffed and escorted away by officers.
Police and prison emergency response units were deployed to defuse the situation.
Additional security was stationed outside the prison, and there was no risk to public safety, according to a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson.
The men got on to the roof about 3pm.Credit:Nine News
The privately-owned prison, located in Truganina in Melbourne's west, is run by security services multinational G4S.
The prison holds about 1000 inmates.