China metro strip stunt prompts apology from laundry

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A Chinese laundry company is facing a heavy fine after apparently hiring two actresses to strip down to their underwear on a Shanghai metro train.

In a clip posted on Chinese video websites last week, two girls suddenly start undressing on what seems to be a crowded train. Passengers are seen filming them on their mobile phones, while a middle-aged woman appears to be telling them off. A man dressed in the uniform of a laundry company then gets on and collects the girls' discarded clothes. After the film spread online, police approached the company.

Citing a "negative public reaction", the business, Tidy Laundry, has now apologised for its "mistake", saying it merely wanted to promote its on-call service in an "exaggerated way", the Shanghai Daily reports. They say everyone immediately involved - strippers, filming bystanders and outraged passengers - were hired actors. But this may not be the end of the firm's troubles - police say they are investigating whether they broke laws banning adverts that have a "bad influence on society".

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