The situation at Rome's Rebibbia Prison -- where inmates have been rioting and staging mass protests -- eased on Monday with the removal of some prisoners to other Italian jails.

Earlier, guards opened fire during a rooftop protest rally, wounding one prisoner. Another fell and broke his leg.

More than two thousand police surrounded the Rebibbia Prison and patrolled the roads leading to it as trouble erupted for the third day running. By lunchtime, groups of inmates had broken down dividing fences and gates to reach the jail's outside wall. Others climbed to the roof and waved sheets daubed with blood.

Rioting at the prison on Saturday(16 June) caused damage estimated at several thousand pounds sterling. (several million lire).

Unrest has been simmering in Italian jails since a nine-day prison hunger-strike in Rome last month. Officials at the Rebibbia jail said two-thirds of the one-thousand inmates were demanding reforms in penal and prison law. They also want a speeding-up in the process which keeps accused people remanded in custody for long periods before trial.

Later on Monday, the situation at Rebibbia Prison based, and prisoners came down from the roof following a promise by the Governor that they would not be harmed.

About fifty prisoners were then transferred to another Rome prison in police vans and authorities said another 230 would be moved to other Italian prisons later.