A huge monitor lizard was caught trying to enter a locked police booth in Thailand.

The 7ft long reptile was seen crawling near the doors of the booth, terrifying passers-by near the provincial hall in Samut Prakan province on June 30.

Animal rescuers were called to the scene to drag the lizard away before it could cross the road intersection.

Footage shows the volunteers pulling the beast by its tail, while another snared its head to keep it from biting.

The lizard was bound and later released into a forest.

A rescuer said: 'The monitor lizard was probably looking for a cool shade to rest, but it could not enter the booth because it was closed. So it lied down in the middle of the sidewalk instead.

'We have returned the lizard to the forest. It would be considered quite big, but I've seen bigger ones. I usually find them in houses. From what I've seen, this one is probably old.'

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.