Armed police have arrested a man in Queenstown after a dramatic pursuit ended with the man locking himself in a petrol station bathroom.

The man was wanted for burglary, including the theft of several cars. He was believed to have stolen a car with firearms in it in Gore this morning.

A local photographer told the Herald the police tracked him in Kingston, north of Gore, and attempted to stop him by laying down road spikes.

The man eventually stopped the car at a BP petrol station in Frankton, near Queenstown, before running inside.

Petrol station attendant Harish Nair said police, including Armed Offenders Squad members, shouted "stop" at the man as he ran into the petrol station.

The man crashed into a few shelves and then locked himself in the bathroom.

Nair said he and other staff locked themselves in the petrol station office while the standoff took place.

The photographer said the man was inside the bathroom for 40 minutes before police hauled him out and arrested him.

A police spokeswoman said the man was wanted in relation to a burglary in Southland this morning, and several car thefts.

No one was hurt in the incident, and charges were yet to be determined.