Fresh protests in the far western Chinese city of Urumqi have been dispersed by police using tear gas, one day after thousands of Han Chinese took to the streets.

The Xinhua news agency said the latest protest occurred in the city centre. Hundreds of demonstrators clashed with the police as they denounced the authorities and pelted the police with plastic bottles.

The Han Chinese protesters are demanding that the police take action against the Xinjiang province's Uighurs, a mostly Muslim ethnic group, who the Han Chinese blame for a mysterious series of syringe attacks. Hundreds of Han residents have been recently injected in the attacks. Local Uighurs say that some residents from their community were also victims of the syringe attacks.

The tension comes just two months after almost 200 people were killed in rioting on 5 July, the worst ethnic violence seen in China in decades. The Han Chinese say that the Uighurs were responsible for inciting the violence and are demanding quicker trials for people charged over July's deadly ethnic rioting.