An Australian motorist has been fined for putting a seatbelt around a case of beer instead of a five-year-old passenger.

Police who pulled over the man's sedan on the Ross highway near the outback town of Alice Springs found the child sitting unrestrained in the back of the vehicle with the driver and other adult passengers apparently unconcerned for the child's safety.

Constable Wayne Burnett said he was "shocked and appalled" by the incident, which happened as he and a colleague carried out routine searches on vehicles entering Aboriginal communities, where alcohol is banned under a government crackdown as part of an attempt to stamp out child abuse.

"I haven't ever seen something like this before," he told local reporters. "Sure, we get beer out of vehicles that is being taken into restricted areas but this is the first time that the beer has taken priority over a child."

The police officer said the driver looked at him "blankly" when he was issued with a $750 (£365) fine for failing to ensure a child was wearing a seatbelt and for driving a car that was unregistered and uninsured.

Four adults were in the car, two in the front seat and two in the back, said Constable Burnett. The carton of beer, which contained 30 bottles, was strapped in between the two adults in the back.

"The child was sitting in the lump in the centre, unrestrained," the police officer added.

Superintendent Sean Parnell of Alice Springs police said: "This serves as a timely reminder to all drivers to ensure they wear seatbelts and ensure as is their responsibility that all passengers in their vehicle are secured in the appropriate manner."

Fucking Abbos.

Ha, nice.

Cool.

Trying to enforce laws in Australia is contrary to the point of the country.

Indeed

We need another penal colony, what about those islands up around Scotland? they don't get used much do they?

Only by puffins (wee bastards) and Teuchters (difficult to understand).

Hahaha Teuchters, I miss Scotland need to go back home soon!

Iain is only half Scottish, lolz.

I don't think I'm even half Scottish. Well, my mum's Scottish but her grandparents were from Ireland and Orkney. As far as I know, my relatives were originally from England, France, Ireland (*vomits blood*) and Wales.

unlucky!