A rat was tied up and 'shamed' for stealing rice

Photos on social media show a rat tied up and ‘shamed’ in China, after it stole rice from a shop.

The photos were posted to Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo, and apparently come from Heyuan City, in the country’s Guangdong Province, according to the Daily Mail.

The rat was tied up by its hands and feet, with a note stuck onto its body, written by staff at the store, explaining its apparent crime.

Picture: Weibo / jiu lian shan she zhang

The post, by user jiu lian shan she zhang, said:

A friend of mine found a small rat in the warehouse f a convenience store. After [it] was arrested, it was shamed by a poster. Poor rat!

In one picture, the rat had a note reading:

Huh, is this the best you could do? Even if you beat me to death, I would not admit that the rice at your home had been stolen by me

Picture: Weibo / jiu lian shan she zhang

A second note, which looked to have been attached later on, said ‘I dare not do it again,’ according to the Mail.

More: Trump's inauguration hats were made in China