Police officers burned alive

TWO police officers have been burned alive by a mob of furious residents after the officers were mistaken for child kidnappers.

The crowd, angered by recent kidnappings at a school in Mexico City’s south-eastern outskirts,cornered the officers taking photos of children leaving the building.

Officials said two agents died and one was being treated in hospital. Federal police director Jose Luis Figueroa said the three agents, none wearing uniforms, had headed to the San Juan Ixtlayopan neighbourhood in an unmarked car as part of an operation against drug-dealing.

The killings, filmed and broadcast on local television stations, were carried out by a crowd of people who cheered, chanted and shouted obscenities as they kicked and beat the plain-clothed officers.

The mob then doused two of them with petrol and set them on fire.

This is the latest example of mob justice in a country beset by corrupt police and high crimes rates.

The area had been tense since two youngsters disappeared and were feared kidnapped from the school.

Some thought the agents were kidnappers, while others were angry the alleged kidnappings hadn’t been fully investigated.

The agents were held by the mob for several hours before they were killed.