IT was the image which signalled the end of the Strangeways riots.

One prisoner sat at the top of the prison tower — his arms held out as if to say the riots were over.

And it is the image of which former Bolton Evening News photographer Derek Ralphs is most proud.

The riots, which started 25 years ago this week, saw Mr Ralphs stationed outside the prison during the 25 days of unrest.

The Bolton Evening News reported from the scene in Manchester, with our reporters and photographers forming part of a huge press pack from publications across the globe.

Inmates clambered onto the roof of the prison, shouting messages to the assembled press and displaying messages scrawled on blankets and card.

One of the protest's most prominent figures was murderer Alan Lord, who at one stage was the mediator between governors and inmates.

He was one of dozens of prisoners to come from Bolton and the surrounding area.

Mr Ralphs, who was with the newspaper from 1966 to 2000, recalls returning the prison every day and seeing another side to the story

The 72-year-old, who now lives in Yorkshire, said: "The one I am most proud of is the man on the tower, who appeared to have climbed up there from inside.

"The riots were coming to an end and it stayed with me that one as the guy held his arms out as if to signal that the siege was over."

He added: "I was glad when it was over but it was the biggest thing I covered.

"In those days we would cover big stories across Greater Manchester — the IRA bombings stick out as well.

"But that did not impact as much as Strangeways, purely because it lasted so long."

During the unrest, 147 prison officers and 47 prisoners were injured. One inmate lost his life and a prison officer also died from a heart attack.

The riots sparked a review into the prison system, with Lord Woolf recommending major reform after concluding that conditions had been intolerable.

Editor of The Bolton News Ian Savage had been a reporter with the paper for 18 months when he was tasked with covering the riots.

He said: "The main thing from a press point of view was the uncertainty all the time about what was going on inside the prison.

"There were conflicting reports of how many casualties there were.

"It had even more relevance for us because there was someone local on the roof.

"But, the strongest memories for me are Derek's photographs, which were brilliant."

Lord served 32 years in prisons and was released in 2012. He now runs a gym in Radcliffe.

Reporting methods have also changed in the last 25 years — especially with the advent of the internet and digital technology.

Mr Ralphs rush back to the Bolton Evening News office each day at about 11am so his pictures could be developed in the dark room.

Reporters meanwhile were getting to grips with a new piece of kit — the mobile phone.

Mr Savage added: "An abiding memory is that it was the first time we had used our mobile phone. It resembled a large field radio and took hours and hours to charge up for one hour's worth of battery — but it saved queueing for a phone box."