Dublin prison siege ends as officers freed

A siege inside Dublin's Mountjoy Jail ended late last night after more than 48 hours of captivity for four prison officers. The four, taken hostage by a group of prisoners as part of a protest mainly against jail conditions, were freed after negotiations.

The six inmates involved armed themselves with iron bars, table legs and a blood-filled syringe to seize the officers on Saturday night in the prison's segregation unit. None of the staff, who were sent for medical checks, was thought to have been injured.

One of the prisoners involved was Paul Ward, accused of conspiracy to murder the investigative journalist Veronica Guerin. He joined the action to highlight his claims of innocence.