Three youths led police on a pursuit in Dunedin last night following an alleged aggravated robbery at a petrol station in Kaikorai Valley.
A police spokeswoman said they were called to a petrol station on Kaikorai Valley Rd about 11pm.
It's alleged two of the youths entered the store, one of them breaking the door with a hammer, and stole cigarettes, she said.
"Staff were in the store at the time but were not injured."
The pair then fled from the store, jumped into a stolen vehicle where a driver was waiting for them, left the scene and headed towards Brockville Rd, she said.
Shortly after police visited the petrol station they spotted the vehicle on Taieri Rd, she said.
"Police signalled for the vehicle to stop, when it failed to, a pursuit was initiated. The offending vehicle hit a barrier and came to stop shortly after on Wakari Rd.
"Police arrested the three people in the vehicle. They are all youths and have been charged with a number of charges between them including aggravated robbery and unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle," the spokeswoman said.
They are all due to appear in the Dunedin Youth Court tomorrow.