Hong Kong - A 10-year-old schoolboy in western China killed himself in shame after a teacher pulled down his trousers and spanked him in front of his classmates, a news report said on Wednesday.

Teacher Zou Weiming meted out the punishment to pupil Chen Cai after accusing him of taking his son's toy at the school in Chongqing, the South China Morning Post reported.

The boy killed himself that evening by drinking a tin of pesticide, the newspaper said. The teacher was fired and the incident publicised to educate other teachers.