Reports from the United Arab Emirates say a four-year old Bangladeshi boy who was abandoned in the desert by men who had forced him to work as a camel jockey has been rescued after five days without food and water.

Press reports say the boy , Juru Miah, is being treated in a hospital in Sharjah for dehydration and severe sun burn. He was spotted wandering in the desert by a passing motorist. The boy said he was frequently beaten for refusing to ride the camels.

The UAE has banned the use of boys as camel jockeys, but correspondents say children from South Asia are still smuggled into the country to be trained as riders.