A group called Play Fair 2008 has claimed factories supplying Games goods are paying as little as half the legal minimum wage and employing children as young as 12.

The Beijing Olympics organisers (Bocog) are taking action against such abuses, having terminated a contract with a stationery company after discovering it was using child labour.

A Bocog spokesman said "We attach great importance to working conditions and corporate social responsibility issues in licensees' companies."