This is the astonishing moment a brown bear darts through a remote town in northern Italy.

Video footage obtained by Newsflash shows the bear as it lopes along the main road through Arco, a town of 16,000 inhabitants in the mountainous Trentino-Alto Adige region.

A motorist captured the bear’s run with her mobile phone after spotting it running down the road in the distance.

Arco Mayor Alessandro Betta – who shared the clip on social media on 13th June – said: “Warning! This morning, there’s a bear in the vineyard area towards Varignano.

“The forestry authority has already been informed.”

User ‘italosgherza’ commented: “Oh God, that’s where I live.”

In another post published later on the same day, the politician explained: “With all probability, the bear crossed our territory going west.

“It’s a dispersed animal, unconfident and even when passing a rubbish container, it runs away as soon as humans appear.”

Local media published a statement by the Provincial Authority which says: “This morning the agents of the Provincial Forestry Corps intervened after receiving several reports about the presence of a bear in the centre of Arco.

“According to initial reports, the bear crossed the country to move towards the mountain. The events occurred in the early hours of the morning.

“There was also close contact with a resident who described the bear as scared and looking for ways to escape.

“Forestry personnel are completing their on-site survey.”

No one has been harmed by the animal, local media reports.

On 5th April, 26-year-old runner Andrea Papi was mauled to death while jogging along a path close to his hometown of Caldes, Trentino.

Caldes is situated around 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Arco.