A large monitor lizard sparked panic after rampaging through an office building in Thailand.

Footage shows the 5ft-long reptile being chased by rescuers inside the workplace in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province on June 21.

The lizard was big but agile enough to escape the volunteers and hide on the second floor of the building.

It was eventually caught after 30 minutes and released back into the wild.

Employee Sukanya Yuphan, 28, said: ‘I heard the dog barking at something and when I turned to check it, I saw a huge monitor lizard running away from the dog.'

When the rescuers arrived at the company, the massive lizard was trying to climb up to the second floor but it couldn't because the ladder barricade blocked it.

However, while the rescuers were trying to catch it, the lizard could climb up to the second floor, so the rescuers had to quickly follow it upstairs.

The lizard was taken into a sack and carried outside for release.

Asian water monitor lizards normally live in canals, swamps, sewers and ponds in cities in Thailand. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

The reptiles are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. The Godzilla-like reptiles are also a protected species in the country so their population thrives.