'Vampires' captured

PEKING (Reuter) - Police in the town of Hengshui have captured a gang of 30 criminals who abducted people and forced them to sell their blood, the Legal Daily newspaper said yesterday.

Under the headline 'Hengshui Nabs Vampires', the newspaper said at least 16 people had been robbed of as much as seven pints of blood each in the town in Hebei province. People had been promised jobs if they came to Hengshui but were instead imprisoned in a house and forced to sell their blood.

One farmer eventually escaped and reported the gang to the police. In November, 30 police officers stormed the house, captured the gang and freed their prisoners.