An angry crowd has stormed a smelting plant in Changging in China's northern Shaanxi province, tearing down fences and wrecking lorries. Most of the protesters are local parents who blame the plant for the lead poisoning of over 600 children under 14 years of age.

More than 150 of the children are so sick that they have been admitted to hospital. The children have far too high levels of lead in their blood which could cause problems including anaemia, muscle weakness and brain damage.

Many Chinese, especially those living in areas marked by high environmental pollution, blame the government for not doing enough to enforce proper safety measures. At the end of last year, at least six babies died in China because of milk contaminated with the chemical melamine.

photo: pollution in China (flickr/zdzarski.unior)