A British businessman was arrested after an alleged knife rampage at a Buddhist temple in Thailand.

CCTV footage allegedly shows Clive George Davidson, 49, from London, holding a machete while approaching the monk in orange robes in Chiang Mai province on May 16.

The terrified monk said he saw Clive, from Bermondsey, holding the deadly weapon and rushed inside the temple before locking the doors behind him.

Appearing to be frustrated, the foreigner banged at the door a few times while shouting at the monk to come out before eventually giving up and leaving in his car.

After the incident, temple-keeper Thawon Potha said they guarded the property with the help of locals until the police arrived but Davidson was nowhere to be found in the morning.

He said: ‘We were so worried that the foreigner would come back that we asked villagers to help keep us safe and they guarded the temple through the night.’

Police Major Yongyuth Kulthorn from Hang Dong station said Clive fled to another district but was found by authorities a day later on May 17.

He said: ‘Clive George Davidson was caught by officers from the Chom Thong district police station and he has been detained there due to illegal marijuana possession.

‘He will be brought here to face his assault charges for the incident with the knife after we were granted an arrest warrant. We are also investigating his visa status as he appears to have been overstaying in the country.’

Clive arrived in Thailand earlier this year and had reportedly been moving from one district to another. Neighbours also described him as emotionally unstable and ‘always caused problems.’

Police Major Yongyuth added: ‘He was reportedly causing problems in places he had stayed in by not paying the rent of his apartment and renting a car but failing to return it on time.’

Davidson is still being questioned while officers at the second station wait for him to be transferred. Investigations into why he carried the weapon in the temple are still ongoing.

The Brit arrested after an alleged knife rampage at a Buddhist temple is a businessman from Southeast London.

Clive George Davidson, 49, from Bermondsey, is listed as a former director of Hollyoak Management Limited.

The IT specialist arrived in Thailand earlier this year before his terrifying machete waving spree at the Wat E-Ranthawan Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai province on May 16.