Living turtles, fish and salamander in tiny bags of water are being sold in Beijing as key rings for children.

To the horror of animal rights activists, the sale of live animals as trinkets is a growing trend in China.

A vendor at Beijing market said “I sell fifty of these a day!”

“I bought one because my child wanted one”, a mother explained

The bags are so small that the creatures can barely move inside and critics say they are likely to die within weeks.

The price tag is little more than the cost of a few sweets.

Although animal rights groups have highlighted the cruelty of these living toys, there is no law in China preventing their sale.