Police in New Zealand have made their first “Facebook arrest” after placing CCTV footage of a burglar removing his balaclava during the burglary on the social networking site.

The 21-year-old apprentice, who was using an angle-grinder to try to break into a safe in a tavern, became too hot and took his balaclava off, making his face recognisable on the hidden security camera.

An internet savvy police officer in Queenstown, on Nw Zealand's South Island, posted the footage on the force’s Facebook page and within 24 hours of the break-in on Monday the burglar was identified and arrested.

Queenstown police are calling it their “first Facebook arrest”, and their method of reaching out to the public to catch criminals is being used as a trial by the national police force.

Sean Drader, an intelligence analyst with Queenstown police, created the Facebook page after seeing similar profiles from forces in America and Britain, including those in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

He said that arresting a criminal through the website had created positive feedback in the local community and had more than doubled the force’s friend base to 417. It was also an indication that social networking sites, such as Facebook and Bebo, had benefits other than for recruiting or networking purposes, he said.

“It’s just another way of reaching people, it’s not going to be a solution for everybody but if its relevant to some people then that’s a positive thing,” Mr Drader told Times Online.

“As generations go by and these things become better and everyone is much more savvy with it, then it could be much more useful.”

Mr Drader said that he also monitored who the Queenstown force accepts as "friends" in case criminals happen to be watching police activities online.

Facebook and other social networking sites are now commonly used by police and the media to track down the movements of criminals. In November 2007 a British newspaper used Facebook to contact Rudy Guede, now in jail for his part in the murder of the British student Meredith Kercher in Italy, while he was on the run from police.

New Zealand police still also use old-fashioned methods to catch their criminals.

Last year police in Christchurch distributed a wanted poster featuring a picture of Robbie Coltrane, because the underage criminal they were seeking (but couldn’t identify because of his age) resembled the English comedian. It is not known if the Coltrane look-alike was caught.