Five hurt at Beckham stampede

Shanghai - Football superstar David Beckham's visit to China turned "chaotic" on Thursday after at least five people were hurt in a stampede as fans rushed to see him, local media and an AFP photographer at the scene said.

Hundreds of students and spectators tried to rush onto the grounds of the football pitch at Tongji University in Shanghai, the Xinmin Evening News said on its official microblog.

"Nearly a thousand spectators charged to open the gate at the same time, causing a stampede," the newspaper said, adding at least five were hurt.

The AFP photographer saw a young woman with an injured leg and a uniformed policewoman who appeared to be bleeding from the nose and mouth.

"The scene is still relatively chaotic," the Xinmin Evening News said shortly after the incident, adding the event had been cancelled.

Beckham was scheduled to play with the university's football team and the youth team of a local football club.

Beckham was visiting Shanghai as ambassador to the Chinese Super League (CSL), which has been viewed as an ambitious attempt by the football authorities to improve the battered image of the Chinese game.