An escaped buffalo gored shoppers and a policeman at a market in Cambodia.

The horned beast broke free from its enclosure and rampaged through the stalls in front of shocked locals in Poipet province on Monday.

CCTV shows the animal ramming a motorcycle rider and the pillion passenger before picking them up and flinging them in the air.

The male buffalo injured four others including a policeman that tried to restrain it before it was brought under control. Three of the victims are being treated at the Poipet Referral Hospital for their injuries.

Authorities are now searching for the owner to force them to pay for the damage but they have not yet come forward.

Poipet city governor Keat Hul told local media that the council had given each of the injured residents 100 USD.

He added: 'Police have captured the buffalo and are waiting for the owner to claim the animal. So far, no one has come forward and officers cannot trace the owner.

'The authorities could see that the buffalo wasn't well tethered and allowed to walk randomly. It is the fault of the buffalo's owner. We are considering legal action.'

Local commune chief Taing Lyheng said the beast first emerged from behind a bus before 'causing chaos' in the market. He said it chased a motorcycle rider before turning its anger to local vendors and shoppers.

He added: 'The police spent about two hours chasing the buffalo. It was eventually caught and sent to Poipet police station waiting for its owner to claim it.'

Water buffalo are one of the most widely-kept farm animals across Cambodia and neighbouring Southeast Asia.