A graffiti artist has climbed one of the 140-metre-high pillars of Melbourne's Bolte Bridge, sparking a police standoff and partially shutting the busy inner-city crossing. Emergency services were called around 3am on Tuesday, and one lane was closed as police negotiated with the man, who was refusing to come down. The stunt matters because it disrupted a major traffic route and again drew attention to the long-running, illegal "Pam the Bird" tagging campaign.

The man is believed to have abseiled down the pillar to paint a giant Pam the Bird tag, a design that has been sprayed illegally on Melbourne landmarks and heritage-listed buildings for years, often in hard-to-reach spots. Police deployed significant resources, including uniformed officers and water police units, but said there was no threat to the public or road users. An Instagram account, @pambirdofficial, posted videos apparently filmed from the top of the pillar, using the hashtag #notcomingdown.