Three people, including a website editor, have been punished for spreading rumors online, according to a statement issued by the State Internet Information Office on Tuesday.

A Shanghai resident surnamed Li was held in local police custody for 15 days for posting a falsified personal income tax document from the State Administration of Taxation in August, and misleading the public, the statement said.

A university student in southwest China's Yunnan Province was detained for posting a fake news item about a sick man who killed eight village heads in Yunnan, it said.

The editor of a leading gateway surnamed Pei received a warning from his employer for publishing a microblog entry about an air force fighter crash without confirming the source and facts, the statement said.

According to the statement, investigations found that three other popular online news items were not true, and the police are looking for those who were responsible.

Authorities will step up efforts to stop rumors and punish individuals and websites spreading rumors, the statement said.

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