A Saudi man and his wife beat their 18-month-old son to death after the woman told her husband she conceived before marriage.

Police arrested the couple at their house in the Western Red Sea port of Jeddah after the boy died of his injuries in hospital.

‘Sabq’ newspaper quoted doctors as telling police the boy did after he was “severely” beaten after bruises and wounds were found all over his body.

“Sources said that the woman told police her husband decided to get rid of the boy after being she told he is illegitimate,” the paper said.