A 17-year-old man has been charged with murder following the death of a man in Hawke's Bay.

Photo: Wikicommons

A man's body was found on the side of Matahorua Road, which branches off State Highway 2 near Lake Tutira, around 9.30am yesterday.

Gaynor Chrystall lives just up the road and said the body was discovered in a ditch by the driver of a milk tanker.

The teen appeared in Hastings District Court this morning.

Formal identification of the victim is still being carried out, however police are confident they know who the victim is and are liaising with his family.

Police were at the scene until late last night carrying out an examination.

They want to hear from anyone who was in the Matahorua Road-Shines Fall area at the weekend or yesterday morning.