This is the terrifying moment a snake slithers up behind a toll booth worker and sends her running for her life.

Creepy CCTV footage from the booth in Chengdu, Sichuan province, central China, on 10th May shows the worker as she checks her screen.

Then, from the floor behind her, the snake pulls itself up the wall towards the window.

Still glued to her screen, the worker seems oblivious to the danger behind her as the snake slides ever closer.

Then in the nail-biting clip she checks her notebook and the snake inches forward until it is within striking distance beside her.

Finally she senses its presence and screams throwing her hands up in the air before fleeing and slamming the door behind her as the clip closes.

Wildlife experts say the region is home to two types of deadly viper and at least five non venomous constrictors like rat snakes and wolf snakes.

The clip made many social media users shudder.

One Weibo user titled 'Peter P Pan' posted: "This snake is too close, it's really scary."

Another user called '1kuo Wishing Tree' added: "If it were me, I would not be able to escape. I have an indescribable fear of this thing."

(MJ Leidig/newsX)