A mother of eight has been arrested in Italy for keeping one of her daughters chained and locked up at home.

The 47-year-old mum – not named in local media – lives in the small town of Aiello del Sabato in the southern Italian province of Avellino with her husband, 46, and their eight children.

She is accused of keeping her 21-year-old daughter – who suffers from unspecified health issues – chained by her hands and feet to a bed for three years.

Local media said the victim was often locked in a dark room, eating just one meal a day, or was sometmes chained to the staircase in the famlily’s council house.

The young woman’s alleged captivity came to an end when her 18-year-old sister filed a complaint.

According to reports, the victim – who was known to local social servces – was first chained up after running away from home as a teenager.

She was found in a nearby forest and brought home where her imprisonment ordeal began.

The mother has been arrested for abuse, causing personal injury and kidnapping while the victim’s father is also being investigated and has a restraining order against him to prevent contact with his eight children as the investigation continues.

The victim and her teenage sister who reported the incident have been welcomed to a protection centre in Avellino Province, according to local media.

Meanwhile, two of the suspects’ other children, who are both adults, have been allowed to remain at home while the couple’s four minors have been transferred to a children’s centre.

The investigation is ongoing.