Workers at a bookstore are being forced to act as babysitters each time parents leave their little ones there and go shopping in the nearby mall.

"Many parents, particularly women, often leave their children inside our bookstore for hours while they go shopping," said Zhao, a clerk.

"Even so, we have to look after the kids very carefully while letting them read or play with one another inside our bookstore for fear that they would get lost before their parents return," she said.

She said parents should inform the store about the kids instead of just walking out. She said they wouldn't know who to contact during an emergency.

(China Daily April 17, 2009)