An adorable baby crocodile sparked panic after it was seen in a stream - floating on an old shoe.

The 30cm long reptile had commandeered the battered size 10 in the stretch of water in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Tuesday (12/11).

A passing motorcycle rider noticed the small freshwater crocodile and raised the alarm.

Locals gathered round the brook where they noticed a further three baby crocodiles, which they feared the could grow up and attack residents.

Several men waded through the stream to catch the crocodiles and put them into a wicker basket.

Motorcyclist Ty Vuthy, who helped to catch the creatures, said: ''They were small and very cute, but they can quickly grow up.

''I don't know what kind of crocodile they were or where they came from, but everybody agreed that they could be a danger to residents and to tourists.''

Some of the locals believed that they baby crocodiles had escaped from a farm or been released in the waterway by someone who did not want to look after them.

The crocodiles were handed over to the local counci to be re-housed.