An expat who knocked down a woman while riding a motorcycle without a license is to be deported after serving five days administrative detention for working without a permit, police in Beijing said yesterday.

He was also fined 5,000 yuan (US$823).

The foreigner, whose name was not disclosed, had previously been given seven days of administrative detention and fined 1,500 yuan for driving without a license and injuring the woman, police said.

The December 2 accident hit the headlines because it was thought the woman, surnamed Li, had thrown herself in front of the motorcycle to extort compensation. However, police later said the expat had knocked Li down, caused her injuries, and had shouted at her in Chinese and English.

During the police investigation it was found that both the expat and his father were working in China without work permits.

The father, whose name was also not disclosed, will be put under administrative detention for 14 days and fined 10,000 yuan.

Employer fined

He will also be deported after serving his term and their employer will be fined 20,000 yuan, police said.

Police said foreigners should abide by Chinese laws while they will protect their legal rights and provide a sound and safe working and living environment.

The Mirror Evening News reported earlier that the motorcycle rider had lived in Beijing for six years and was from the UK.

Hospital checks confirmed that Li suffered soft tissue injuries and had pains in her shoulder and ankle.

Police asked the pair to settle the matter privately and the expat gave her 1,800 yuan, she told The Beijing News. The money was used for medical bills, including ambulance fees and medicine, Li said.

A series of pictures was posted online showing the expat's jacket ripped and Li sitting on his motorcycle, refusing to move. Many who saw the pictures believed Li was trying to extort money from him.

The photographer who took the pictures later apologized for misleading captions that gave the wrong impression that Li had been trying to blackmail the foreigner.