Sergeant Andrew Lyes, of Hokitika, said yesterday, he was given a photo of a young child sitting out of the sunroof of a vehicle travelling near Hokitika last week.
The photo was taken by someone following the vehicle on the exit road from Lake Mahinapua and would be included in a file sent to Dunedin police today for further investigation.
The file would include the vehicle's registration details, revealing it was owned by a Dunedin resident.
The vehicle owner had not been contacted by police and the identity of the child and the driver was unknown, Sgt Lyes said.
The photographer was ''appalled'' by the incident, Sgt Lyes said.
''As were we.''
Sgt Lyes said Dunedin police would need to investigate further before it was known if any charges would follow.
''At the very least, the driver could be fined for allowing a person to ride in a dangerous position, but depending on the outcome of the investigation, more serious charges could be laid.''
Dunedin police road policing manager Senior Sergeant Phil McDouall said he had no knowledge of the alleged incident so could not comment further but he would investigate when the file arrived.
- Additional reporting Greymouth Star
