A man has been charged following the alleged theft of a delivery truck in the Bay of Plenty.

Police were called about 12.50pm on Wednesday by a man reporting his delivery truck had been stolen a few minutes earlier from outside the Tāneatua Dairy.

The driver had stopped into the dairy briefly, leaving his truck running outside.

Inspector Phil Gillbanks said initial witness information from the scene indicated a group of young males had been seen loitering near the dairy before the van was stolen, and that the van was heading towards Waimana.

Shortly afterwards, the delivery driver advised police his truck had GPS tracking technology, which helped officers narrow down its location.

Officers were immediately dispatched to the area and used GPS information and CCTV footage to help locate the truck.

It was located about 1.30pm at a property on Matahi Valley Rd, where one man was arrested.

The 25-year-old man is due to appear in Whakatāne District Court on November 17 charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

Inspector Phil Gillbanks. Photo / File

“Police would like to thank the members of the public who helped provide information about the theft immediately after it happened,” Inspector Gillbanks said.

“This community assistance played a vital role in helping ensure officers quickly located the vehicle and identified those involved.”

Gillbanks said this incident serves as a timely reminder for delivery drivers and vehicle owners to ensure their vehicles are secure whenever they are unattended, even for short periods.

He said as the busy Christmas season approaches, there will be increased numbers of delivery vehicles on the roads.

“Taking a few extra moments to switch off the engine, remove your keys, and lock the vehicle can prevent you from becoming the victim of opportunistic theft and prevent significant disruption and loss.”