Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

A nursery teacher who put a plastic bin liner over the head of a restless toddler to “help him fall asleep” is being investigated by police.

Shocking security cam footage of the incident – at the Bong Sen Kindergarten in Bao Dap Commune, Yen Bai Province, Vietnam on 14th May – emerged in local media.

The video shows a female teacher entering a room in the kindergarten where about 10 children are seen taking their noon nap.

According to reports, the teacher had been in the room moments earlier and returned with a black plastic bag when one boy refused to go to sleep.

She is seen in the footage putting the bag over his head and holding it in place while smacking him on the buttocks as the boy seems to struggle.

After apparently noticing she is being filmed by the security camera, she then takes the bag off his head and forcefully leads the boy out of the room.

The kindergarten is brand new, having only opened on 5th May, say Tran Yen District officials.

The investigation into the incident preliminarily found that the boy – aged over two – had wet himself, cried and refused to go to sleep.

The teacher in question – not named in reports – told investigators she covered his head with the bag to help him “fall asleep more easily”.

The police have been requested to verify the incident and the teacher may face disciplinary action or criminal charges.