A man who led a vicious attack on four women eating in a restaurant in China has been sentenced to 24 years in prison. Chen Jizhi was found guilty of the assault in the north-eastern city of Tangshan in June which began when one of the women rejected his advances.

Another 27 men were convicted over the violence, in which they used bottles, chairs and fists to beat the women.

Surveillance video went viral, sparking debate about gender violence in China.

After the attack, two of the women spent time in intensive care, while the other two women were seen in photos covered in blood, although their injuries were initially classed by police as only “minor”.