This is the shocking moment a lawyer ate an important document to help his client.

The incident, in the town of Kyzyl in central Russia's autonomous Republic of Tuva, was caught on CCTV cameras.

The lawyer, who has not been named, was studying papers in the office of a judge relating to a client who had been accused of causing an accident while drink-driving.

The lawyer was studying papers in a judge's office relating to a client who had been accused of causing an accident while drink driving. He is seen picking up the report revealing the level of alcohol in his client's blood. But the woman in the background, believed to be the judge's secretary, later leaves him alone

He is seen picking up the breathalyser report revealing the level of alcohol in his client's blood.

The lawyer first stashes the evidence in his bag but then appears to have second thoughts and takes it out again, nearly puts it in his pocket before ultimately deciding to put it in his mouth and start chewing.

Local media say he managed to eliminate the most important piece of evidence in the case while the judge and her secretary were out of the office.

By now alone the lawyer is pictured picking up the report. He obviously is completely unaware that the judge's office is covered by a CCTV camera

When the judge's secretary returned, the lawyer told her the report was missing and that without it, there was no evidence against his client.

The stunned secretary started to look for the missing report, then she called for the guard, suspecting the lawyer had stolen the evidence.

The truth was revealed only when she studied the CCTV footage.

A police spokesman said: 'The lawyer's guilt cannot be denied when you look at the CCTV film.'

The hapless lawyer now faces up to two years in prison or a 200,000 roubles (£2,000) fine.

It is not clear whether his client was prosecuted in the absence of the document.