Two inmates staged a rooftop protest at a Stoke Heath Young Offenders Institution in a bid to be moved elsewhere.The 19-year-olds clambered on to the roof of the complex, near Market Drayton, yesterday, at about 3.30pm.

Specialist negotiators managed to coax the pair down shortly after 8pm.

Steve Williams, governor at the young offenders institution (YOI), said the men had been campaigning for one of them to be transferred to another jail.

He said: “It was resolved peacefully after about five hours. During that period the establishment continued to run as normal. We had no major disruptions. One wanted to transfer to another jail and one was there as his friend.”

Inspector Steve Harris confirmed police had been informed of the incident and had been ready to attend if the situation escalated, but were not needed.

A similar incident took place at Stoke Heath in May, when two inmates climbed onto the roof for almost six hours, while specialist negotiators were also called to the YOI in March and May last year, when inmates staged rooftop protests, each lasting more than four hours.

The incident also comes less than a year after a six-hour riot at the YOI, which left three prison staff injured and an entire wing devastated.

The riot took place in September last year, and involved about 18 inmates who caused about £120,000 of damage to the wing.