Four boys as young as 14 have been arrested and a fifth is on the run after an armed robbery at a Bay of Islands service station.
The owner of Waipapa BP said police did a "pretty exceptional job" to catch the offenders so quickly - but in particular he praised a regular customer who spotted the youths jumping the counter and followed their car until police arrived.
Sergeant Ross Laurie, of Kerikeri police, said a vehicle stolen earlier in the day pulled up at the service station about 7pm on Sunday. Four boys got out, entered the shop and pointed a gun at staff, who locked themselves in a back room.
The boys stole tobacco, the cash drawer and chocolate before fleeing north on State Highway 10.
A member of the public saw the robbery and called police who were already on SH10 north of Waipapa. When the youths saw a police road block ahead they turned into a driveway where some fled on foot.