Two policemen in south China have been arrested after they allegedly ignored and released a drunk man who had surrendered to officers after killing a woman and her two sons.

The man allegedly proceeded to kill another woman and her son and injured her daughter before turning himself in to police again.

The two policemen, Zhang Xiang and Xu Jisong, from the police station in Dazhipo Town in Haikou City, capital of Hainan Province, were arrested for negligence that allegedly led to the ensuing knife rampage in which a mother and her son were killed, Xinhua news agency quoted Hainan authorities yesterday.

Zhang and Xu were on duty at 6am on November 9, when 36-year-old suspect Chen Huangye came to the police station and claimed he had hacked his 37-year-old neighbor, surnamed Lin, and her two sons, aged 10 and 12, to death following a dispute in Wenchang City earlier.

But Zhang didn't take Chen seriously as he was reeking of alcohol. Zhang telephoned his superior, Xu, and let Chen go free with Xu's agreement, Xinhua said.

However, after he left the police station, Chen went to a rented house several kilometers away and hacked to death a 35-year-old woman, surnamed Wu, and her 10-year-old son. Chen also wounded Wu's 12-year-old daughter, who suffered minor injuries.

Chen then returned to give up himself again at the Dazhipo Township Police Station where he was put under custody.

Xinhua cited police that the suspect had a grudge against the two women killed.