Frozen water offers evidence of deception

An attempt to use a spray of mist to trick an air pollution monitoring station failed when the water froze in the winter air - providing proof that someone was trying to tamper with the results.

The mist cannon had been used from Dec 2 to 5 to clear the air around a national air quality environment monitoring station, which coincidentally sat on top of the environmental protection bureau's building in Shizuishan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region. However, the water began running down the side of the building and turned to ice, the autonomous region's environmental protection department said.

Pictures of the ice-laden building went viral online on Tuesday, with many comments calling for strict controls on governments and related authorities.