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A nine-year-old boy has allegedly been caught driving a car after 1am on a major highway in New South Wales.

In a statement on Monday, NSW police alleged that a 45-year-old driver was experiencing “significant fatigue” and “operating the pedals” while the boy steered on his lap.

A seatbelt detection camera captured the car travelling on the Great Western Highway at Mount Lambie, about 160km west of Sydney, at 1.35am on Saturday 7 March with the “unrestrained child” sitting on the man’s lap, police alleged.

After inquiries, officers attended the man’s home at Lightning Ridge on Wednesday 11 March and spoke to him.

He has been issued with a court notice and charged with four counts, including driving recklessly or furiously or speed or manner dangerous, negligent driving, driving without proper control of vehicle and driving with one passenger seatbelt or restraint not properly fastened.

“Police will allege the man was under significant fatigue, operating the pedals, while a nine-year-old boy was steering the vehicle,” police said.

The man is due to appear at Walgett local court on Tuesday 28 April. NSW police notified the Department of Communities and Justice.

In 2017 a 12-year-old boy was stopped by police after trying to drive solo across Australia, having already covered 1,300km.

The boy was en route to Perth in his family’s car when he was pulled over by highway patrol officers at Broken Hill in far west NSW after being involved in a crash.