A wild monitor lizard sparked panic after crossing a road and rampaging through a shop in Thailand.

CCTV video footage shows the frantic reptile evading motorists on a busy road in Ratchaburi province on October 19 before seeking refuge inside a shop - only to scare staff and customers away.

Shaken assistant Saruta Utamakoon said: 'The lizard was running so fast so our instinct was to move away. It appeared like it was trying to come for someone and we were startled.'

The monitor lizard escaped to the back of the shop then fled the building before disappearing into a nearby canal.

Asian water monitor lizards live in canals and ponds in large cities in Thailand where they feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

They are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria.