A hungry water monitor lizard was caught in a car engine in Thailand.

The beast broke into a home and reportedly tried to eat a pet kitten before hiding inside the vehicle in Ang Thong province.

Homeowner Anuch discovered the reptile as she was leaving for work today. She called village headman Phinit Srisopha to help remove the creature.

The pair took the red sedan to an auto shop, where mechanics partially dismantled it to pull the lizard free.

Footage shows staff removing the car's wheel and mudguards while a reptile catcher held on to the monitor lizard's tail.

The animal was soon dislodged and fled into the nearby woodland.

Anuch said: 'I saw the large lizard come into my house and try to eat my kitten, so I chased it away, but it ran into the engine of my car instead.'

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.