A trio of teens had to flee a popular Dunedin park as a man demanded drugs and smashed the window on one of their vehicles.

The incident unfolded when the three friends arrived in separate vehicles at Dunedin's Prospect Park to catch up late on Thursday night.

One of the teens was approached by a man asking for drugs. The teen's two friends then arrived in another vehicle, Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said.

Their night was thrown into turmoil when an assailant – understood to be the man who had tried to source drugs from the first teen earlier – approached in the darkness and tapped on their window, then smashed it.

Dinnissen said the teens fled in one vehicle, and returned a short time later to find the vehicle they left behind – a Ford Kuga – had been stolen.

The vehicle was later recovered near Cosy Dell.

The alleged offender was described as being of solid build, medium height and with brown hair.

He was wearing a grey hoodie at the time of the attack and was earlier seen driving a champagne-coloured Mitsubishi vehicle.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Dunedin police on 105 or can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.