A Chinese newspaper that took the unprecedented action of publicly calling on police to release a detained reporter has run a second front-page headline demanding his freedom.

New Express, a Guangdong-based newspaper, stunned experts on Wednesday with a front-page editorial under the headline “Please release him” in reference to its reporter, Chen Yongzhou. On Thursday, it published “Again please release him” in large Chinese characters across its front page.

The paper says police from Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, detained Mr Chen last week for writing stories accusing Zoomlion, a big construction equipment company part owned by the Hunan government, of fraud. Zoomlion has previously denied the claims, but on Wednesday it declined to comment further.