Dozens of monkeys ran riot after breaking free from their enclosure in a macaque-infested town in Thailand.

The troop were caged for terrorising the residents but clawed their way through the metal fence at the Pho Khao Ton Monkey Garden in Lopburi, on Tuesday morning.

Footage shows the primates climbing onto rooftops as they escaped to nearby residential areas. They also ran across roads and besieged the Tha Hin Police Station, where officers tried to drive them away using slingshots.

Lopburi Municipality, which is responsible for managing the shelter, called the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation asking for help to round up the rogue macaques.

Local authorities said they were investigating whether the monkeys destroyed their enclosure or someone had tampered with it.

Frustrated residents urged wildlife officials to assist the local government in handling the wild animals.

Lopburi has been overrun with monkeys, partly due to their religious significance in Thai culture, and because of unregulated tourist feeding practices that have allowed them to thrive.

Though the wild monkeys have become a tourist attraction, their soaring numbers have also created an unsafe environment for the locals, who complain about the increasing conflict as more macaques encroach into human settlements.

Lopburi authorities have teamed up with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to address the issue through sterilisation and relocation.