A couple working as teachers in Fujian province had to help with demolition work in a county and the wife had to seek a divorce to save her husband's job, Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

Lin Xin, the wife, who worked as an English-language teacher at Minhou county's No 4 High School and her husband Zhang Xingfa, a teacher at the county's No 1 High School, were forced to stop teaching on Aug 31 to help with demolition work in Shangjie, a township where Lin's parents lived. Their house was scheduled for demolition by the local government.

Lin's parents did not agree to the demolition and to being relocated so she was forced to stop working to try to persuade them.

To prevent her husband from being sacked, Lin had to divorce him on Sept 18.

She said she and her husband love each other and did not want to divorce.