A man left his son stranded at school after learning that he wasn't the child's biological father, it has been reported.
The boy, aged five, was dropped off at the preschool in China by his father as he normally does.
However, the man did not come back to pick the child up at the end of the day, local reports suggest.
The youngster, who is being referred to in local media reports as “Xiao Rui" in order to protect his anonymity, was left at the school in Guangxi province for five days after the man who was thought to be his father refused to collect him.
Xiao had a change of clothes and a mobile phone with him inside his school bag, the Jiangxi Morning Daily reported via the South China Morning Post.
When the man who was understood to be the child's father was contacted by a teacher at the school, he is reported to have told her that he will not be picking Xiao up because he had taken a DNA test which showed he wasn't his son.
Speaking to the boy's teacher, who is referred to in the publications by her surname Chen, the man is reported to have told her that Xiao was now the school's responsibility.
Chen was unable to locate Xiao's mum and found the boy's home to be empty when she visited it.
Local reports said the police were able to get in touch with the boy's granddad and uncle but they too were not prepared to take responsibility for him.
A report by Nanning Radio and Television Station said that Xiao's mum was expected to collect him this week.
Users on Weibo - China's version of Twitter - were furious with Xiao's parents. “How innocent the boy is! The mum was unbelievably irresponsible,” one person wrote.
Another commented: “Other people’s children are pampered like babies, but [he] has to face the cruelty of the adult world."
