New details emerge after child services were called to Northern Territory worksite following disturbing discovery inside a cage

A child was reportedly left in a ‘makeshift playpen’ at an industrial workplace after their father was unable to send them to daycare due to their allergies.

Unable to miss a day of work, the father was given permission by his boss to take his child to the workplace on the Stuart Highway, in the Northern Territory.

He set up a makeshift playpen with mats on the floor inside the enclosed structure, Sky News reported.

A contractor spotted the box last week and reported the problem to Territory Families and NT WorkSafe, describing the structure as a ‘cage’.

The child is said to be between two and three years old.

Daycare providers have since offered to care for the child so the father can continue to work and make ends meet.

Police visited the industrial estate, which cannot be named for legal reasons, on May 14.

A spokeswoman for Territory Families said the agency was aware of the matter and was investigating it.

“The safety of children is our top priority and we take any allegation of child abuse seriously,” she said.

Mandatory reporting rules in the Northern Territory require a person to report his or her concerns if he or she believes a ‘child is being harmed or abused’.

“This also applies to the police who can report suspected damage to our department,” the spokeswoman said.

‘We work with children, families, communities, police and relevant agencies to assess and respond to any reports of suspected harm to children.’

One witness, who asked not to be named, said the toddler was in the secure area to prevent them from ‘running around the workplace’.

“Because three-year-olds climb over boxes all the time… it means they don’t wander around,” they said NT news.

The ‘fighter’ father couldn’t leave his child at daycare because of their allergies, so he created the playpen so he could care for them while he was at work