A WOMAN cut off her boyfriend's penis in Minhang District early yesterday as she suspected he was going to dump her, xinmin.cn reported.

The woman, surnamed Tu and about 30 years old, is some nine years older than her boyfriend, surnamed Xia, it was reported.

Because Xia's family disapproved of the relationship, Xia only bought a rail ticket for himself to go home for the Spring Festival, the report said.

When Tu saw that Xia had no intention of taking her to meet his parents, she thought he was going to break up with her.

When Xia was drunk and had passed out, Tu cut off his penis with a knife, said the report.

She went with Xia to hospital after the attack and was taken by police for questioning.

A witness said a man arrived at the Shanghai No. 5 People's Hospital by ambulance about 3am. A policeman was carrying a thermos flask filled with water and containing the severed penis, while a blood-stained woman was talking to medics, said the witness.

The hospital did not give details of Xia's condition.