This is the moment a police underwater drone gets the test of its life as it is chomped by a snappy aligator when it got too close.

The chilling footage – shot during a training exercise in Fort Myers, in Lee County, in the US state of Florida – shows the drone slipping under the ‘gator as it glides through the water.

The reptile’s huge jaws are shown off as it lurks just under the surface looking for prey.

Then – in footage shot from the bank – the alligator is seen suddenly rushing for the drone and chomping down on it with its huge jaws.

But the bad-tempered ‘gator then has a change of heart and swims off.

It is not clear if it had decided that the drone was harmless or if it was just not tasty to eat.

Newsflash obtained a statement from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office saying on 9th June: “While the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit was training in Fort Myers, this insta-gator latched on to the underwater drone! See ya later Alligator!”

The footage has been viewed about 10,000 times and has received hundreds of comments on social media.