A massive python sparked panic when it slithered through a restaurant.

CCTV footage shows how the 10ft-long serpent emerged on the smooth tiled floor as it tried to make its way into the kitchen.

Terrified customers and even the chef leaped from their seats and fled from the restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand on June 17.

Shaken owner Chathanadrat said: 'The snake just came out of nowhere. It's never happened before, not with a snake this big. Hopefully it just came to try my food and was not trying to eat any of our customers.'

The python was removed from the premises with the help of a local animal rescue team before being released in nearby woodland.

The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where they live in forests, swamps, canals and even in cities, causing them to come into conflict with humans. The species is one of the world's largest snakes and can eat humans, cats, dogs, birds, rats and other snakes.