"Do you want to know whether your child is in love?" "Are you afraid for their safety?" "We offer bodyguards!" Are just some of the slogans used by several investigation agencies in Qingdao, reports the Peninsula City Daily.

The business was dreamt up by a couple of business people who were too busy to look after their kids. And it seems, there are others in the same boat, as over the past four months one agency has received over 30 jobs, 70 per cent of which are to see what the child gets up to, with 30 per cent being bodyguard assignments.

An agency bodyguard can tail a child 24 hours a day, and can even protect them in the dark, said a manager at the agency.

The cost of this service is at least 500 yuan (US$60) a day and is in high demand, according to the manager.

But Zhang Junsan, a local lawyer, was less enthusiastic about the new businesses, saying parents should be responsible for their child's safety while children have the right to privacy.

Editor: Catherine