A rat was tied to the back of a lorry after it was caught eating rice (Picture: CEN)

A rat has been ‘tied up and shamed’ after it was caught eating rice from a corner shop.

The rodent was caught by the man who runs the shop in Heyuan City, in southern China.

Yellow notes are also hung around the animal’s body, with one saying: ‘I am only capable of so much. Even if you beat me to death, I will never admit that I stole your rice.’

In the next photo, the rat seems to have changed its stance following what is assumed to be a period of physical torture, saying: ‘I swear I’ll never do it again!’




It is not known if the rat survived its ordeal.

One of the signs says: ‘I swear I’ll never do it again!’ (Picture: CEN)

Some have compared the treatment of the rat to the people of China during the struggle sessions during Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution.

Those who were classed as enemies of the state would be humiliated or executed in public.