The iPhone 5C comes in a rainbow of colours

As next week's Apple iPhone event draws nearer, new images of what is rumoured to be the iPhone 5C - boxed up and ready to be shipped - have been leaked online.

The photos, released by Chinese site iapps.im, show rows of the phones, with what is thought to be plastic casing, in pastel blue, pale yellow and powder pink.

Apple is rumoured to be releasing the iPhone 5C as a cheaper alternative to its upcoming iPhone 5S model at an event on 10 September.

The photos have since been removed by the Chinese site on the request of a 'relevant party', according to reports from Engadget.

In the images, each of the phones are also shown with a wallpaper in a corresponding colour.

Rumours around Apple potentially launching two new handsets at an Autumn event surfaced in June.