Around 6,000 camels are reportedly rampaging through a remote Australian town.

The Northern Territory government has organised a mass cull of the creatures after claiming that the Docker River community is "under siege" by the animals, Sky Newsreports.

Local government minister Rob Knight said: "They've actually come right into the community smashing infrastructure, so it's become a critical situation.

"There are health issues, there are camels being trampled, and dead carcasses in the community. They are smashing over water mains and intruding on the airstrip, causing problems with medical evacuations."

Graham Taylor, the chief executive of local authority MacDonnell Shire, added: "It began four weeks ago with 25 or 30 camels, but every day more and more turned up looking for water."

He added that the camels would be taken out of town and shot humanely to protect the 330 residents.