This is the shocking moment a monitor lizard dashed through a crowd, knocking over a pensioner in Thailand.

Chamaiporn Chaisrichon, 65, lost her balance and fell hard to the ground while trying to avoid the reptile.

CCTV footage shows villagers gathered outside a home in Soi Ton Chan, Chonburi, when the animal suddenly charged through the group, causing the elderly woman to stumble.

Paramedics arrived to assist Chamaiporn. Footage shows rescuers administering first aid before transporting her to a nearby hospital.

She was later diagnosed with a fractured right knee joint on June 20.

Neighbour Sunee Saetun said: 'We were chatting outside my house when a water monitor suddenly ran towards us.

'Her right leg slipped off the pavement, and her knee hit the ground and twisted, which caused the fracture. The animal ran away after the incident.'

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.