A man has been arrested after an early morning thieving and car-ramming rampage in Mid Canterbury, which ended with two stolen cars set on fire.
The 42-year-old man rammed a security guard's car while fleeing an Ashburton service station he had taken items from about 4.30am.
Police later caught him trying to commit a second burglary in Mayfield, where he rammed a police officer's car.
The car he was driving, which was stolen, was found alight near Mt Somers, and the man was seen in a second stolen vehicle near Christchurch airport.
After a short police pursuit, during which he avoided road spikes, police found the second car alight nearby.
A third vehicle was later pulled over by the police in central Christchurch, and a man taken into custody.
Police said there were no injuries.
