A Chinese water monster has been caught on camera by horrified witnesses.

Footage of Chinese Nessie

Footage of Chinese Nessie

Mobile phone footage of a shadowy shape that appears to be lifting its head out of the water in a lake in China has gone viral.

And the clip, which has been obtained by The Sun Online, has set tongues wagging the country in East Asia have their own Chinese Loch Ness Monster, dubbed the Chinese Nessie.

In the video, which was shot in Luoping County in China's south-western Yunnan Province, villagers can be heard gasping and screaming in the background as the unidentified animal causes ripples and disappears into the water.

The onlookers suspect that a much larger body was attached to the visible head they caught a glimpse of.

And locals are said to be lining the edge of the lake, eager to catch another glimpse of the suspected monster, whilst officials are reportedly looking into the situation.