Police rushed to a jail after a topless prisoner escaped and launched a desperate rooftop protest.
The man was seen at HMP Chelmsford, in Essex, with police officers cordoning off surrounding roads.
Pictures from the scene show a grey tracksuit clad man staring at police from the towering perimeter of the Category B site.
Essex Police officers rushed to Chelmsford Prison where a man climbed onto the roof of the building
Police rushed to the Essex jail after a topless prisoner escaped and launched a desperate rooftop protest
The man was seen at HMP Chelmsford with police officers cordoning off surrounding roads
He has been seen shouting, chucking items, and has taken his top off.
The lag was also spotted vaping while gesticulating with gloved hands.
A Prison Service spokesman said: ‘Staff are working to resolve an ongoing incident involving one prisoner at HMP Chelmsford.’
In the wake of the break out police have blocked nearby roads with a dog unit also patrolling the perimeter.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: ‘We were contacted at around 11am today, Monday, June 11, to assist staff at Chelmsford Prison in relation to an ongoing incident.
‘The incident is currently being managed by the prison service, however, we have closed nearby roads as a precaution.’
It is not known what has sparked the stand off, but the prison was last week revealed to be one of the most violent in the country.
The man was seen shouting, chucking items, and took his top off in the hot weather today
The lag was also spotted with a vape in one hand before putting on black gloves and making wild gestures
The incident was managed by the prison service, however, police closed nearby roads as a precaution
Inspectors at Chelmsford Prison warned it is understaffed and becoming increasingly violent
Between 2016 and 2017, HMP Chelmsford saw the highest increase in the numbers of serious assaults on staff of all the prisons in England and Wales.
Inspectors at Chelmsford Prison warned it is understaffed and becoming increasingly violent – with a sharp rise in the number of assaults against both officers and other inmates.
Its independent monitoring board published a report last year, in which it concerns about drug trafficking, poor mental health support and bullying are raised.
The board also said staffing levels ‘fell well below the benchmark figure’ – even when that benchmark was reduced temporarily.
The report stated: ‘The prison’s ability to control the influx of drugs and other contraband, and to maintain discipline, has been hampered by the shortfall in the number of officers available for much of the reporting period, and the lack of experience of many of the newer officers.’