A seven-year-old boy was tied to a pole and covered in honey to attract bees by his dad as a cruel  punishment.

The boy, identified simply as Muhammad D, was cruelly punished after a neighbour accused him of theft in Egypt.

His dad, 34, is said to have tied the boy to a pole before covering him with honey to attract bees to sting him.

The dad, who has not been named, then reportedly placed his son on the roof of their house.

It is unclear how long the boy was left on the roof but swarms of bees and mosquitoes gathered on the boy’s body while he was there and, as his hands were tied behind him, he couldn’t swat the insects away.

According to local reports, the boy’s mum, 29, was horrified when she saw her son’s punishment and decided to seek help from a child rescue group. She also took pictures of the disturbing scene with her phone, with the images now being used as evidence against the dad.

The father has been arrested following the incident at a village in the region of Shebin El Qanater on Tuesday, May 25.

Prosecutors from the Egyptian governorate of Qalyubia have opened an investigation.