Watch: Oranga Tamariki accused of dropping boy at gang pad to scare him

Oranga Tamariki says it is "very concerned" that a video has surfaced online claiming a caregiver had dropped off a boy at a gang pad to scare him.

The two-and-a-half minute video, posted by a man to his Facebook page, has been viewed more than 10,000 times but had since been removed.

Alison McDonald, Oranga Tamariki's deputy chief executive, said: "We are very concerned that this video identifies the boy, and mentions various names and locations openly in the recording."

She said sharing the video widely on social media breaches privacy and could pose harm to a number of people.

"The person who posted the original video has removed it and has offered an apology," McDonald said.

The apology related to identifying the boy on the video.

The two-and-a-half minute video, posted by a man to his Facebook page, has been viewed more than 10,000 times but had since been removed. Photo / Facebook

She urged people not to circulate the video and identifying factors further to "protect the young boy's privacy" and the continued safety of him and others involved.

"Our priority is the safety of the young person and as soon as we were alerted to this issue, Oranga Tamariki staff quickly confirmed that he was safe and with whānau," McDonald said.

"We are working to wrap as much support as possible around him and his whānau due to the attention this is gaining on social media."

McDonald said that while facts were being established, it was not in a position to comment further.

The man in the video, who said he was not a "patch member", claimed a caregiver linked to Oranga Tamariki dropped the child off at the gang pad to scare him.

"I understand he's made mistakes in his life, but he's a young fella. It's not his f**king fault," the man said.

The boy, who gave the first name of his caregiver, said she threatened to send him to the pad if he "kept getting cheeky".

"And then she ended up turning around and taking me to the pad," the boy said.

The Ministry wouldn't confirm if the boy had indeed been dropped off at a gang pad.

"We don't have anything else to add at this stage," a spokeswoman said.