Staff screamed when a huge monitor lizard broke into a beauty clinic and hid under the sofa.

CCTV footage shows the 6ft reptile pushing open the door before slipping underneath the furniture at the shop in Samut Prakan, Thailand.

The beast was spotted by the owner, Jiwararat, who shouted for help before he quickly pulled the seat away on July 10. Some of the women inside screamed in fear at the Godzilla-like creature.

Jiwararat used a broom to scare the animal away, but it refused at first, causing a mess inside the establishment.

He said: ‘The lizard invaded my skin care shop. I have no idea why it was so desperate to get inside. We only provide treatment for humans, not reptiles with scales.'

The feral creature, which is believed to have emerged from a nearby drain, was ushered out of the property and fled into a canal, but returned the next day on July 11.

Footage shows the animal crawling outside, but it could no longer enter as the door had been locked.

Animal rescuers were called to the scene to catch it, and they put it in their truck to be driven several miles away and released into the wild.

Jiwararat added: 'They said it was far enough away for it not to return to clinic.'

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.