Police are trying to find a driver who trapped an officer's arm in his window - as he fled a Covid-19 checkpoint

Since Auckland's Alert Level Three began on Sunday, 358 vehicles have been turned away at northern checkpoints and 899 at southern ones.

Police say a man was identified as a disqualified driver when he pulled up to the northern checkpoint yesterday morning.

An officer attempted to grab the man's car keys as he was about to flee, but he continued to drive off.

The officer freed himself and managed to avoid serious injury.