A 76-year-old pensioner has been seized by police for the killing of a seven-year-old girl after he went on TV to claim he had seen her being kidnapped.

Haunting CCTV images of victim Ding Chenxin’s last moments were released, showing her walking through the city just moments before she was killed.

Moments later – say reports in the prefectural city of Xuchang in the central Chinese province of Henan – she was killed and her body abandoned on a rubbish dump on 27th March.

In one run of footage, the little girl can be seen walking along the street with a man looming behind her.

In another, she apparently looks apprehensively behind her as if she knows she is being followed.

After failing to come home, the girl was reported missing and the authorities launched an investigation. The police subsequently found the young girl’s body on the outskirts of the city.

A 76-old-man from the same city had claimed to be the only witness and even appeared on TV claiming that he had seen the girl getting into a car with two people.

However, he reportedly failed to provide a description of the people or their car, saying he could not see the licence plate.

Police reportedly quickly discovered that he had previous convictions for violence and for forcing women into prostitution, and he was arrested on 29th March.

The man, who has not been named, has reportedly admitted to the murder.

Local media have also reported that the man had a history of violence. A few years ago, he reportedly slashed his brother’s neck.

Furthermore the man had also been imprisoned for forcing women into prostitution.

No further details have been provided by the police and the investigation is ongoing.