A cheeky monkey snatched a girl's fruit as she walked up temple steps with her mum.

Footage shows the primate darting towards the youngster before grabbing a plastic container from her hand at Batu Caves in Selangor, Malaysia.

The macaque did not hurt the child and aimed only for the treats, which the kid tried to hide away at first.

However, adults around, including her mum, told her to give it away to the animal.

Ester Ong, the girl's grandmother, said: ‘The monkey will take it, it's okay. Give it now.'

The animal then clambered across the handrail to move to the other stairway, away from the family.

Ester added: ‘We had an unforgettable adventure at the Batu Caves in Malaysia.

‘My granddaughter's fruit became quite the attraction when a group of cheeky local monkeys decided to take it right out of her hands.

‘It was a hilarious moment that added some unexpected excitement to our day.'

The youngster then pointed to the simian, which had stolen her food as it climbed up the hill on November 2.

The Batu Caves in Malaysia are an important Hindu pilgrimage site and home to a lively population of long-tailed macaques. These monkeys are a common sight around the temple complex, particularly along the 272-step staircase that leads up to the main cave.