China police officer held for 'throwing infant' to ground in Henan

A police officer has been detained after allegedly grabbing a baby from her father's arms and throwing her onto the ground in central China.

The seven-month-old infant suffered a fractured skull but is now said to be out of danger.

The apparently drunk officer is said to have made a bet with friends that the girl was only a doll.

Initially he is said only to have received a 15-day "confinement" but that sparked an outcry on social media.

"The policeman involved in the baby attack was put under criminal detention on Saturday night and was transferred to a detention centre in Anyang City this [Sunday] morning," Guo Fajie, head of the public security bureau of Anyang city, was quoted as saying by state news agency Xinhua.

The police officer in Linzhou, Henan province has been named as Guo Zengxi.

He is said to have been on his way to a karaoke bar with friends when he saw the baby's parents out for an evening stroll with their baby.

He grabbed her from her father's arms, lifted her over his head and threw her to the ground, local media reported.

Following a furious response on social media at his initial 15-day punishment, an investigative team was sent to look into his case, said public security chief Mr Guo, and the policeman's arrest followed.

Last month, a Chinese toddler died after being thrown to the ground by a man who was quarrelling with her mother over parking - an incident which also provoked an online storm.

Social media have played an increasingly important role in demanding accountability from authority figures in China in recent years, say correspondents.