BEIJING -- Chinese police authorities shut down more than 320 illegal web sites and Internet columns and deleted 15,000 items of hazardous information from Internet from September 6 to 8.

An official with the Ministry of Public Security said the closed websites include those which disseminate gambling information or run gambles, or sell guns, explosives, listening-in devices and anaesthetics or conduct on-line cheating and theft.

The official said recently a large number of websites selling guns, explosives, bugs, narcotics, disseminating gambling information and stealing on-line deposits emerged in China, threatening citizen's personal property and ruined Internet atmosphere.

He said police authorities will intensify efforts to purify Internet atmosphere in future.

The Ministry of Public Security on Friday publicized a web site (www. cyberpolice. cn) for citizens to report clues on hazardous web sites and harmful Internet information.