An alarming video clip being investigated by police shows a young child with no seatbelt on crawling over the front passenger seat of a car.

Officers are carrying out enquiries after the footage recorded by a member of the public in Herne Bay was sent to them on social media.

The child can be seen facing in the wrong direction as they clamber over the seat of the Audi.

The video shows the driver navigating a roundabout and travelling through a zebra crossing in Canterbury Road.

A police spokesman said: “We received a third-party report of footage posted online showing potential traffic offences in Herne Bay.

“Local officers have been made aware and initial enquiries are underway to establish the full circumstances."

The video was shared on Herne Bay Residents Group on Facebook with a caption sarcastically suggesting the driver should be named “dad of the year”.

Another social media user shared a screen recording of the video with Kent Police on X, asking if it could be “looked at urgently”.

According to gov.uk, drivers are responsible for seatbelt wearing and restraint use by children under 14.

Children must be in the correct car seat for their height and weight until they reach 135cm tall or their 12th birthday, whichever is first.

Drivers can be fined up to £500 if a child under 14 is not in the correct car seat or wearing a seat belt while driving.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents says it is safer for children to travel in the rear seats.

“If the middle rear seat has a three-point (lap and diagonal) seat belt, this is the safest place to put a child restraint (unless the manufacturer's instructions say it fits better in one of the other seats) because it is the furthest away from the sides of the car,” its website states.

“If it only has a lap-only belt, check the child restraint instructions to see if it can be fitted with a lap-only belt. If not, fit the restraint on either side of the rear seat using the lap and diagonal seat belt.”