Eight police have been detained for beating new recruits after the beatings were videotaped and posted online, sparking public indignation over the cruelty displayed in the incident.

A spokesman with the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday that another 16 people also received disciplinary punishments after the beatings, which took place in a firefighting police division in the city of Wuhai in north China's Inner Mongolia.

The video clip, uploaded on December 9 of last year, showed five uniformed young men queued in a line in a windowless room being slapped, punched and kicked by another eight fellow police.

Despite bleeding from their noses and mouths, the five men were subject to repeated beatings and ordered to stand at attention.

The video clip, which lasted about 16 minutes, quickly became a hot topic after it was posted on the Internet. Many Chinese Internet users criticized the cruelty and expressed sympathy toward the new recruits.

Later that day, the fire brigade in Wuhai confirmed the identity of the police who were beaten. Investigation showed that the beating took place in June 2012.

The Public Security Ministry on Friday required police authorities to rectify the unhealthy practice and shore up the good image of the police.