A couple in Pennsylvania locked their children in a basement dog cage as punishment and even left their six-year-old inside a cage overnight.

Thirty-six-year-old Nicholas Chamberlain and 34-year-old Linda Chamberlain were charged on Friday, said police.

State police troopers said the investigation began on June 19 when police responded to a call of a child refusing to return home in Huntingdon County.

Police said the couple's 13-year-old child escaped to a neighbour's house to call police after the six-year-old was locked in the cage overnight.

The couple also have a 10-year-old. 

Both are charged with false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of children. Nicholas Chamberlain is also charged with simple assault.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.