Australia news live: Melbourne police in standoff with alleged graffiti artist perched on 120m tower of Bolte Bridge

Police in Melbourne are in a standoff with a man who they allege has painted a huge “Pam the Bird” image on the city’s Bolte Bridge.

In a statement Victoria police said uniformed and water police were “currently on scene and responding to an incident involving a trespasser” on the bridge. They said:

double quotation markA man has scaled the bridge and remains in a restricted area on the eastern tower. He is refusing to follow police direction and come down. Police allege the man is responsible for graffitiing the bridge earlier this morning.

There was no threat to the public or road users and one lane of the bridge remains closed. They were working to get the man down safely.

A post on Instagram from a Channel Seven reporter shows a man on top on one of the bridge’s 120m-high towers, just above a new Pam the Bird.

Another post appears to be taken from the man’s point of view on top of the tower, looking out over the city and gesturing to police below. It ends with the comment “will see you in the morning might have a quick nap”.