Hawke's Bay Police have arrested a prolific burglar with a helping hand from the community

Several people filed reports in short succession yesterday that a man was seen committing burglaries at five homes in Hastings.

The first call came from an off-duty officer - after the offender was watched remotely breaking in his parents home on CCTV.

Police say the swift response allowed them to track the offender and set up cordons to arrest him - with the help of a Dog Unit.

The 31 year old is due to appear in Hastings District Court today charged with five counts of burglarly.