Beijing, Apr. 23 : A Chinese government manual has revealed how to beat troublemakers without leaving physical evidence.

Details from the official publication were posted on the Internet by a civil servant and published in one of the country's most daring newspapers.

The guide appears to be aimed at local government enforcers known as chengguan, who are often involved in public confrontations in their main role of removing unlicensed street vendors and checking permits.

They play a de facto law enforcement role and have attracted criticism for their heavy-handed and frequently violent methods.

A local government official told the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper that he had posted the extracts online after buying a copy on sale openly at a government bookshop.

Any doubts as to whether the contents of the handbook - The Practice of City Administrator Law Enforcement - were authentic were laid to rest when the Southern Metropolis Daily obtained confirmation from the Government in Beijing.

It quoted an official of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement as saying that his office was the author of the book. (ANI)