Five teenagers were arrested in Christchurch overnight after allegedly threatening a man with a knife before stealing his car.

Police were called to the intersection of Dacre St and Buckleys Rd in Linwood at 7.50pm on Sunday.

“The victim was uninjured but very shaken up by the incident. The stolen car was seen by officers at around 9.25pm and road spikes were deployed.

“The driver failed to stop and was briefly pursued by police, but the pursuit was abandoned due to the manner of driving,” Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel said.

Police spotted the vehicle later in the suburb of Burnside.

“The car was later seen again, heading into Glencoe St, where the car was abandoned. The occupants fled on foot and were located by a police dog unit a short time later,” McDaniel said.

The five were taken into custody and will be facing a range of charges.