A man who claimed he had a bomb in a cardboard box inside a metro station was detained in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, on Friday, the Guangzhou bureau of public security said in a press release.

The man, surnamed Huang, 35, refused to cooperate when he was stopped for a security check in the Ximenkou metro station in Guangzhou's Liwan district at about 2 pm.

Security guards immediately telephoned the 110 police hotline for help after Huang claimed the cardboard box he was carrying contained a bomb.

Huang, a native of Liwan district, was detained after police arrived. No bomb was found and Huang admitted he had lied.

Police said Huang committed the offence of disturbing public order.