A Bay of Plenty 22-year-old man is facing charges in relation to the break in at Stirling Sports in Whakatane on January 5.

Police arrested the alleged offender after a search warrant was executed on a Whakatane address, says Whakatane response manager Sergeant Yvonne Parker.

Police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for a number of burglaries in the Whakatane area.

'He is charged with a number of burglaries, receiving stolen property, wilful damage, possession of a knife and possession of ammunition.

'The accused has been remanded in custody and will appear in Whakatane District Court tomorrow.”

On January 6, Whakatane Police released CCTV footage of a man who they believe is responsible for a spate of commercial burglaries in the town.

The footage shows a man inside the Stirling Sports on Sunday at about 11pm.

They also believe he is the same person who has committed a number of recent commercial burglaries using weapons, including an axe, to gain entry into the buildings.

'We would like to thank all those people who assisted us with making this arrest by sharing the post , private messaging us information and provided information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111,” says a statement from police.