Police have arrested one person following a car chase down Queen St in central Auckland. Photo / Supplied
A police chase of a stolen car in Auckland's CBD this afternoon has ended in one arrest.
A grey hatchback hooning down Queen St on one rim was wanted for a petrol drive-off and later found to be stolen, police said.
The call came about 1pm.
Police pursued the car from Dominion Rd before it made its way through the central city and into Britomart, where the driver was stopped and arrested shortly before 1.30pm.
Witness David McPherson was on the bus when he heard the chase before he saw it thanks to the car's missing tyre.
"I could hear the noise of that rim rubbing on the road."
McPherson said the car was a dark grey hatchback being driven by a man who looked to be Caucasian, in his mid to late 20s, with a beard.
He was being chased by four police cars and two police motorbikes down Queen St before turning right onto Customs St East toward Britomart.
"The last police car that came down stopped on that corner on Customs St itself and two cops got out and ran onto Britomart by foot," he said.
"The cops weren't mucking around."
Police confirmed a person had been arrested in a chase which ended in Britomart.
One Herald reader said they saw the chase while walking down Queen St today.
"Heard the popping sound of the car driving on its rim and turned to see a car speeding down Queen Street with a blown out tyre and rubber going everywhere," said Luke Mariner.
Two minutes later a police car came past with its sirens on, he said.
"As I turned onto Quay St I saw the car in the middle of the road.
"No sign of the driver."
Another reader said he saw a group of up to 11 police cars fan out at the top of Karangahape Rd and down Queen St as he was waiting at the intersection at the top of the hill.
"Quite eerie when a car with scraping wheel and the tyre slapping around speeds past within a metre or two of the curb and you don't really know what happened until all the police cars passed by in chase," he said.
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