US 'mum of the year' clips her son around the ear and drags him home after spotting the boy among Baltimore rioters

A US mother who was filmed disciplining her son after she spotted him among rioters in Baltimore has been hailed 'Mum of the Year,' as footage of the incident has gone viral.

Toya Graham recognised 16-year-old Michael through his hood and mask as protesters threw rocks at police in the Maryland city.

Her no-nonsense reaction was caught on camera and has been shared online across the world.

Violence flared in Baltimore this week following the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after being taken into police custody.

Graham, a single mother-of-six, was seen angrily clipping the sheepish-looking boy around the ear and chasing after him as he tried to run off.

Explaining her reaction to CBS, the single mother of six said: "I don't want him to be a Freddie Gray."

Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts praised Graham, telling a press conference: "In one scene you had a mother who grabbed a child who had a hood on his head and started smacking him on the head because she was so embarrassed.

"I wish there were more parents out there who took charge of their kids tonight."