Prisoner protests on roof of Strangeways prison in Manchester

An inmate who staged a 12 hour protest on the roof of HMP Manchester will "face punishment", prison bosses have said.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed the man "willingly came down from the roof" at around 4.15am on Thursday, 13 April.

Emergency services were called to the scene with specialist negotiators at around 4.30pm on Wednesday evening, after the man climbed onto the roof.

The building - still known to many by its former name 'Strangeways' - is one of the country's largest high security, category A men's prisons. 

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Staff safely resolved this incident and the prisoner will face punishment as disorder in prisons is not tolerated."

Police had urged members of the public to avoid the area.

During the protest, the inmate appeared to sketch the words 'FREE IPPZ' on the prison roof and continually shouted out the same phrase.

The message is believed to refer to The Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence (IPP) sentence, which was abolished in 2012 and branded 'unjust'.

At one stage, the prisoner was seen making a love heart gesture and wearing a makeshift poncho as rain poured down.

The jail, to the north of Manchester city centre, which has capacity for over 1,200 inmates, was rebuilt following the infamous Strangeways riot of April 1990 – the biggest disturbance in prison service history.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: "At around 4:30pm on Wednesday 12 April 2023, officers were called to a concern for welfare of a man on Southall Street.

"Road closures in and around Southall Street will remain in place until further notice. Members of the public are asked to avoid the area.

"There is believed to be no wider threat to the public."

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