Facebook has been credited with helping to find a driver who fled from Waikato police overnight.
The driver stole petrol from a Te Kuiti Station and later fled police, colliding with another vehicle at an intersection. While police were checking on the driver of the other car, the wanted driver sped off.
Police this morning posted a description of the man on their Facebook page , which resulted in a tip-off from a Facebook friend of the 25-year-old Aucklander.
The 25-year-old, who was already wanted on a breach of bail and theft charges, now faces further charges including failing to stop, failing to ascertain injury, two charges of reckless driving and another of driving while disqualified.
Senior Sergeant Gill Meadows said social networking is proving to be a valuable tool for police.
"Our staff [can] interact with sections of the community who might not necessarily utilise traditional means of communication.
"Basically, for police we don't care how you engage with us, we just want to hear from you if something is happening."