This is the moment a monkey approached a woman in Gibraltar and stole her bag.

Mark Carroll had just arrived at the famous Rock of Gibraltar on November 4 when he spotted a tourist in a tense standoff with a large Barbary macaque.

As Carroll filmed, the monkey leapt up, snatched the bag and started rifling through it looking for food.

"The monkey approached the woman when it saw her bag and jumped to get it before ripping it open for a proper look," said Carroll.

"I’d say there were just a few personal bits, I think there was a glasses case and other items but no food," he added.

"I was shocked as we had just arrived off the cable cars," he added.

Originally from the Atlas Mountains and the Rif Mountains of Morocco, the Barbary macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population on the European continent.

Mark Carroll observed from a distance as a monkey approached a woman and stole her belongings.

On the Rock of Gibraltar, Mark has just arrived at the top when he noticed the woman and Barbary Macaque stand off on November 4th.

It was obvious to see that the ape wanted the brown bag that the tourist was trying to keep out of reach by holding it high above her head.

A quick dart and jump meant that the woman was off balance and the primate eventually nicked the bag and began rummaging through it.

The monkey quickly gathered anything that seemed of interest and tried to make a quick getaway but luckily for the lady, it had dropped most of the items whilst making it's escape.

Mark said: "The monkey approached the woman when it seen her bag and jumped to get it before ripping it open for a proper look.

"I’d say there were just a few personal bits, I think there was a glasses case and other items but no food.

"The monkeys are very calm and not bothered unless you have a carrier bag or brown bag.

"I was still shocked as we had just arrived off the cable cars."