Police at Vigilance on Tuesday rescued a seven-year-old Annandale boy from a brutal beating at the hands of his father.

The father was detained after admitting to tying the lad to a post and beating him as punishment for stealing his cigarettes.

The police arrived just in time to release the youth who was still tied to the post, even as his mother watched the horrifying drama being played out.

According to a neighbour, the child’s father had sent him to purchase cigarettes.

On his way back, one of the cigarettes fell and the lad left it behind.

He explained this to his father who did not believe his story. The angry father accused him of smoking the cigarettes and proceeded to tie him to the post near the Annandale seawall and inflicted a beating on him.

Luckily for the lad, neighbours witnessed the beating and called the police, who arrived promptly.

This newspaper understands that when questioned, the man said that he was disciplining the child for throwing stones at an elderly resident.

The police did not believe his story and took him to the Vigilance police station where he spent the entire Tuesday night.