An inmate at Chelmsford Prison spent nine hours protesting after managing to climb on to the building's roof.
The drama unfolded yesterday at 2.40pm when James Happer, 31, got on to a second floor roof.
Essex Police were called initially, and sealed off Sandford Road next to the prison, but it was in the hands of prison negotiators to coax the man down.
The incident was brought to a close at midnight when the man came down from the roof.
Happer's sister Nicola Miller, 34, said Happer, of Hackney, London, was serving five years for robbery, and was moved from Brixton to Chelmsford a few months ago.
Mrs Miller accepted if her brother had done something wrong, he had to pay the price, but she claimed his wife and children, aged one and seven, were not allowed to visit him.
Chelmsford Prison was not available for comment today.
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Published Tuesday, December 14, 2004
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