Fleeing pair ‘drove at police’

Two men are on the run after allegedly ram-raiding three businesses and trying to run down a police officer in Christchurch.

Detective Inspector Tony Hill said two people were arrested after the spree in New Brighton about 3.40am yesterday, but police were still looking for two others. The group were believed to have used two vehicles to ram-raid two petrol stations in New Brighton and the Bower Ave Dairy.

Police on ‘‘proactive’’ patrol in the New Brighton area saw the two vehicles trying to ram raid the dairy, Hill said.

A police spokesman said two people were arrested at the scene, while two fled in the second vehicle and ‘‘drove at an officer’’. The officer was not injured.

Police pursued the vehicle along New Brighton Rd, but abandoned the chase.

A 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman would appear in the Christchurch District Court.

Z Energy Limited spokesman Jonathan Hill said someone crashed through the front doors of the company’s Hawke St station overnight. The offenders took off with about $50 worth of stock from the shelves and ‘‘some coins from a charity box on the counter’’.

The police spokesman said one of the vehicles believed to be involved was a grey Nissan Terrano stationwagon, with the registration number US9037.

The incident followed another short chase by police on Bealey Ave about 2am, involving a Mitsubishi stationwagon. It was called off after the fleeing driver ran through several red lights. It was possible the incident was related to the ram raids and pursuit in New Brighton soon after, police said.