HOLDING on tightly to her bag, Luo Siqi burst into tears when she was surrounded by police officers.

In between sobs, she said: 'I do not wish to go home. My papa and mama have already sold me away.'

She and two other girls were stopped by policemen outside a store in the southern city of Dongguan on Tuesday.

The police in the city in Guangdong province have mounted a crackdown following reports of the use of child labour in factories there.

Reports say that more than 1,000 children, aged from nine to 16, work long hours in factories for 2.5 yuan (50 Singapore cents) to 4 yuan an hour.

Most of them are from the Liangshan autonomous prefecture, an area populated by the ethnic Yi minority in the south-western province of Sichuan.

Siqi, who is from a village in Liangshan, said she has two younger brothers and a younger sister. She added that it was difficult to make ends meet back home.

She arrived in Dongguan four months ago and has been taken to work in different factories by her employer.

When asked about her age, she claimed to be 18, but the Southern Metropolis newspaper said she and her companions looked no older than 13.

When asked about the identity and whereabouts of their employer, all three girls lowered their heads and kept quiet.

It was only after 30 minutes of persuasion that the girls agreed to leave with the police officers.