Chinese authorities appear to have lifted a block on BBC's English language news site after years of restricting access.

Internet users realised during last week that they could read the news coverage, although not the Chinese service.

Previously users in China who tried to access the news site were redirected to an error message stating: "The connection was reset."

Beijing has never acknowledged blocking access to the news site and has made no comment on the apparent change in policy, which appears to have taken the BBC itself by surprise.

"It comes in with no problems or proxy ... even with a rather large report about his holiness [the Dalai Lama]," wrote one web user.

Others suspected its availability might only be temporary, with one noting: "I doubt it will last, but refreshing to see."

The timing is intriguing given the anger of officials - and many Chinese web users - at the way the western media have portrayed the unrest in Lhasa and provinces with a large Tibetan population. Even articles about the protests are available from China.