This is the heroic moment a brave local climbed a temple to retrieve a tourist's phone stolen by a monkey in Thailand.

Security guard Yut, 40, scaled the stupa of the Phra Prang Sam Yot stone monument to chase a wild macaque that snatched a French woman's iPhone in Lopburi on November 30.

However, the overzealous guard found he needed rescuing after climbing some 23ft (7m) above the ground. Footage shows him holding up the phone as he sits on the concrete structure waiting for police to arrive.

Police Lieutenant Nirun Phlong-ngern of Tha Hin Police Station said officers received a report that Yut had been stuck on the temple for more than an hour. They took a long ladder to the scene, allowing him to descend safely with the tourist's phone in hand.

The French woman said she had been sightseeing with her family when the monkey attacked her. She said the primate had tugged at her elephant pants, causing her to let go of her iPhone. She claimed it scooped the gadget off the ground before racing to the top of the temple.

Yut, who was dubbed 'Monkey City Hero' by the grateful holidaymakers, said: '‘When I was climbing up, I didn't look down. I'm not sure how I managed to climb that high. I was just focused on getting the iPhone back.

‘I've retrieved tourists' belongings from monkeys many times before, but never from such a height or in such strong winds.'

The French family rewarded him 1,200 THB (28 GBP) for his efforts.

Lopburi has become a popular tourist destination because of its large population of monkeys. The monkeys are mostly long-tailed macaques, and they can be found all over the city, from the temples to the streets. However, they can also be aggressive, and they have been known to steal food and belongings.

Macaques including the long-tailed and pig-tailed macaque are widespread in Thailand's forests, tourist spots, and urban areas.

However, human interaction such as feeding by tourists have led to population growth in some areas.

Thai authorities are scrambling to control the soaring numbers by catching, sterilizing, and relocating the monkeys to reduce conflicts with humans.

(1 GBP = 43.56 THB)