A Chinese man without arms claims several banks denied his application for a loan when he was unable to provide his fingerprints.

Wu Jianping, 25, from Zhengzhou, Henan province was recently refused cash to buy a house.

The educator, who works in Beijing, normally writes his signature by holding a pen in his mouth.

But bank employees rejected his claim on the grounds that a written signature can be easily imitated.

The 25-year-old lost his arms after suffering a severe electric shock at the age of five.

"Fingerprinting is a common practice because signatures can be imitated, but there is no way to copy a fingerprint," one employee was quoted as saying by local media.

Since his applications were refused the banks involved have been criticised online.

Many people have questioned why the banks didn't make an exception in this case.

And in one post on Facebook a thread has started questioning why the bank didn't ask for a footprint instead.

At the same time, Zhengzhou's housing management bureau - which also often asks for fingerprints - stated that a path for those with special needs is available to help people like Wu, China Daily reported.

Some of the banks involved have since reversed their decision and are now being urged to reconsider their policies.

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