This photo taken on April 23 shows Xiaolai, 17, helping his friend Xiaoning, 8, climb into a hollowed-out section in a wall where they have been living with a third boy, also 17, for half a year. [Photo/CFP]

Three homeless boys – one aged 8 and the others 17 – who come from different families in northeastern China's Shenyang city, have been living together like siblings in a hollowed-out section in a wall near the city's railway station for half a year. Their shelter is half a meter high and 2 meters wide.

All of their parents are divorced, and some say that their family background is partly to blame for their fate.

Xiaoning, the youngest of the three, lived with his father after his mother left them several years ago. However, his father would apparently never return home until late at night – for reasons that remain unclear - and never worried if he did not see his son at home.

Xiaoshuai, another of the boys, said his mother left home when he was 4, and his father left him 6 years later.

The third youth is Xiaolai.