BEIJING - A video showing a man stomping on the head and hand of a toddler on the street as pedestrians walk by without intervening in north-western China has sparked outrage in the country.

The attack was caught on security camera on Monday. Two-year-old Li Zhexu was playing with a broom outside shops in Luochuan county, Shaanxi province, when Wang Jiaolong, 28, approached and kicked him in the head.

After the toddler fell, Wang stamped on his head and hand 13 times, before picking up a dustpan and broom to strike him repeatedly.

Within hours of appearing online, the video had been watched by 17 million people in China, who expressed their horror, said Sky News.

"This video is too brutal. Parents, please keep a close watch over your children," said one user of Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter.

The attack lasted 35 seconds until a group of people emerged from a shop and chased Wang, who fled. The boy has fractures in his skull, but is not in critical condition, said Xinhua news agency.

Luochuan police said Wang, who has schizophrenia, had been arrested.