Maungatapu residents woke to police knocking on their doors and searching in gardens after a man allegedly tried to kidnap a woman.

Police allege there was a dispute between a man and a woman in a house on Maungatapu Rd where the man forced the woman to leave the house and tried to force her into his car about 3am yesterday.

A member of the public who heard the commotion had yelled out he was phoning police.

The distraction had enabled the woman to break free and the man left the area in the car.

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The victim, who was in her 30s, suffered minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.

A 38-year-old Tokoroa man was arrested a short time later in a vehicle in Te Puke.

Residents told the Bay of Plenty Times three police cars were parked near the block of shops on the corner of Vine Ave and Maungatapu Rd about 9am yesterday.

Police were going door to door asking residents if they heard a disturbance in the night.

Police told one resident they were looking for a bone-handled knife.

Another resident saw police searching in gardens and around trees when she took her dog for a walk yesterday morning.

She had still been awake at 1.30am yesterday but had heard nothing out of the ordinary, and the area was usually a peaceful and quiet place.

A police officer told another woman there had been some sort of domestic before they searched the front of her lawn.

Police want to hear from anyone who saw a grey Honda Odyssey in the Maungatapu area, particularly around Maungatapu Rd, any time Saturday or early yesterday morning.

The 38-year-old man has been charged with kidnap, aggravated burglary, assault with intent to injure, breach of a protection order, wilful damage and driving while disqualified. He is in custody and was to appear in the Tauranga District Court today.

Phone Tauranga police on (07) 577 4300 or anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you have any information.