A huge monitor lizard was found stuck in a man's toilet after falling through his home's ceiling.

The giant reptile was part of a pair that sparked panic as they rampaged through the property in Satun province, southern Thailand, on April 8.

While they were chasing a rat on the roof, the structure collapsed and one of the lizards dropped into the toilet bowl.

The officers took more than three hours to capture the beasts, rescuing one from the toilet and luring the other one from the ceiling. They had to dismantle and smash it to finally pull the plump lizard out.

Homeowner Paisan Leesen said: 'My house's ceiling and the neighbour's are connected. I have been listening to the lizards run across our houses for six months.

'I believe they ate all the house rats and grew fat, so when they ran, the ceiling broke.'

Both of the monitor lizards weighed more than 6kg and were about 7ft-long. Rescuers bound them before taking them away from the residential area to be released.