Police have detained three urban administrative inspectors who beat to death a street vendor in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Four urban administrative inspectors, called "chengguan" in Chinese and tasked with clearing streets of unlicensed traders, tried to confiscate Liu Jianping's cart Wednesday afternoon but was refused.

Then three of them began beating the man, who had been selling snacks near the Datianwan Stadium in Yuzhong District for years.

People at the scene tried for several times to stop them but failed. The fight did not stop until police arrived.

A spokesman of the city's public security bureau told a press conference on Wednesday night that the three "chengguan" inspectors strangled Liu's neck, kicked him and beat him on the chest.

Liu died in hospital.

A working team has been set up to investigate the case, the spokesman said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)