A man in southern India has been arrested after allowing his nine-year-old son to drive his Ferrari.

Police in the state of Kerala arrested Mohammed Nisham, a wealthy property tycoon, after footage of the boy driving a red Ferrari went viral on YouTube.

In the video, which has been viewed thousands of times, the boy is seen driving the luxury car outside their home near the port city of Kochi in Kerala. His seven-year-old brother is in the passenger seat.

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The mother of the boys, Amal Nisham, posted the video to YouTube where it subsequently went viral.

Mrs Nisham told The Times: “I am proud of him. He’s been driving since he was 5.”

“He is a cautious and confident driver… It’s not easy for a child to achieve such a feat at this young age.”