The mother of a teenage boy allegedly found chained up inside his western Sydney home has been arrested.
A charity worker discovered the 16-year-old chained to a bed in the Blacktown house around noon on Tuesday, police say.
Paramedics and Fire and Rescue Crews assisted police in freeing the boy.
Police say the 38-year-old mother arrived at the home about 30 minutes later and was arrested.
"The boy was freed and taken to Westmead Hospital for observation," NSW Police said in a statement.
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A hospital spokeswoman confirmed the boy was a patient but said no details on his condition were available.
The boy's mother is at Blacktown Police Station.
Mary Menial, a friend of the mother, said the family didn't have enough help to look after the boy as his father lived in Africa.
"Sometimes he runs away. The father is not here, (he is) in Africa," she told News Corp Australia.
"She is not working, she is looking after the son. He has a disability."
Ms Menial said the boy's mother cared about him but was tired and there was no one to help her.
