An ice cream woman was shocked after finding a baby crocodile hiding under her stall in Thailand.

Porntip Man-in was preparing to open her store along Soi Suk Suwat 100 in Samut Prakan province when she saw the killer reptile cooling off under the stand on May 5.

She said: 'I initially thought it was a monitor lizard commonly seen in this neighbourhood, but when I looked closer, I saw that it was actually a crocodile.'

Fearing the creature would escape and attack passers-by, Porntip backed away and shouted for her husband and daughter to keep an eye on the baby croc as she called for a rescue team.

The handlers soon caught the three-foot animal, believed to be around five months old, and placed it in a plastic box with some water.

Porntip said: 'I don't know where it came from. I don't think anyone here is keeping any crocodiles.'

Her daughter added that in their 20 years of residence in the area, they had never encountered a crocodile before.

Rescuers were contacting wildlife authorities for its turnover.