Photos: Four-year-old boy is tied to a tree by his family for being 'too naughty'

A shocking photograph has emerged of a young boy tied to a tree in China by his family for being too naughty.

According to People's Daily Online, the four-year-old identified by his surname Zhong,was recently spotted by passersby in the Yongchuan district of Chongqing.

The child, who is  is looked after by his ageing aunt and uncle while his father works in another town to earn cash to pay off heavy debts.In January 2015, the child's mother died from Meningitis.

The uncle and aunt who are in their 60s say that they are not able to care for the boy as he is too naughty.

A while ago, the boy disappeared and it took a team of locals hours to find him.

A picture appeared on Chinese media shows the boy playing in a spare concrete mixer, which his family say is incredibly dangerous.Terrified that they would lose him again, the couple decided to take drastic action, tying him to a tree using rope.