This is the nerve-wracking moment a crazed monitor lizard tries to enter a school in Thailand.

The rampaging reptile was seen at the entrance pushing against a PVC screen as terrified pupils screamed in Bangkok, Thailand.

A cleaner grabbed the beast by its tail and dragged it away before slinging it into a nearby canal.

Staff believe the creature had emerged from the water in search of food, with the small from the school canteen helping to attract it to the building.

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.