A 5ft long monitor lizard sparked panic after it rampaged into a grocery shop and hid inside one of the cupboards.

Checkout girl Namfon Ketsiri was working when she saw the wild animal crawling through the front panel of a store in Suphan Buri, central Thailand on August 14.

At first, the worker and the neighbours living in the block helped to catch the reptile, but because it was too aggressive for them, they called the animal rescuers for assistance.

Namfon said: "I was shocked when the monitor lizard entered our store. I tried to catch it myself but it was too big. It was too strong even for the neighbours.''

The fierce lizard was found hiding in the small space in one of the cupboards. The animal catchers then dragged it out by the tail.

The team took the lizard out of the grocery shop by carrying length-ways by its head and feet.

The monitor lizard was put inside a sack before it was released back into the local canal.