Shocking moment two children are 'locked up in a cage by their parents in a Chinese market so they won't go missing'

Two young children in China have allegedly been locked up inside a metal cage by their parents to prevent them from going missing at a bustling street market, according to reports.

The youngsters, believed to be two little boys, are seen in a shocking video being left alone and trapped in the steel cage built on the back of a tricycle.

They were believed to have been put in the enclosure by their parents to prevent them from wandering around the area, a source told local media.

Two young children in China have allegedly been locked up inside a metal cage by their parents to prevent them from getting lost at a bustling street market, according to reports

The scene was reportedly captured by an onlooker at a street market in central Chinese city Luoyang on Tuesday.

Footage released by local newspaper Dahe News shows the young children seemingly frightened as they looked around while clinging onto the barriers.

With no guardian present, the youngsters were locked up in a steel cage which was built on the back of a blue adult tricycle.

The vehicle was parked in the middle of a road surrounded by vendors and shoppers who seemed to be unfazed by the scene.

Footage released by local newspaper Dahe News shows the young children seemingly frightened as they looked around while clinging onto the barriers at the market in Luoyang

A source, believed to have filmed the video, said that the parents used the extreme measure to prevent the children from 'getting lost' at the busy market.

'It was a market at the countryside. The parents locked the children in there, probably because they were afraid of losing them,' an anonymous woman told reporters.

Local officials have not released any statements regarding the alleged incident at the time of writing.

The footage, featured on several state-owned news outlets, sparked anger on Chinese social media, with many horrified social media users criticising the approach 'cruel'.

A source, believed to have filmed the video, told reporters that the parents used the extreme measure to prevent the children from 'getting lost' at the bustling street market. In this file photo, people are seen shopping at an outdoor food market in Wuhan on April 29

One viewer wrote: 'This is so cruel. Are they really your birth children?'

Another one condemned: 'I've only seen animals being locked up like this!'

But other commenters appeared to approve with the measure, praising it as 'safe' and 'effective'.

One user said: 'It's so much safer to lock the like this. If they get kidnapped, you would never find them for the rest of your life. It's not an easy job being parents!'

Another netizen agreed: 'This is just a type of protection. No parents want to do this but it's understandable.'