Scared pupils fled when a large monitor lizard disrupted their school assembly.

CCTV footage shows the kids sitting on the floor of the gym during a morning meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 23.

Suddenly the rampaging 5ft-long reptile emerged at their side, sending them standing up and rushing away.

Teacher Thanom Promsuwan said: ‘The children panicked a bit, but they calmed down easily. It went the other way and avoided many people.'

Some teachers helped catch the creature after it went to hide in the school's car park.

Teacher Thanom added: ‘We chased it away with a stick until it was out of the compound. It was not hurt, and kids were safe too.'

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.