A 35-year-old Christchurch man has been arrested and a loaded firearm seized following a fleeing driver incident.

Police first spotted the vehicle on Quinns Road around 2:45pm on Tuesday, but the driver failed to stop when signalled.

A short time later, officers stopped a separate vehicle on Bower Avenue, where the fleeing driver was found as a passenger.

A loaded firearm was discovered in the vehicle and confiscated.

The man has been remanded in custody and is set to reappear in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday, 16 January.

He faces charges of failing to stop, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and driving while disqualified.

Christchurch Metro Response Manager Inspector Leairne Dow praised the officers involved for their handling of the situation.

“I would like to commend the staff involved; this was a good representation of the unknown risks faced by our officers,” Dow said.

“Their professional response resulted in the man being taken into custody without further incident, and one more firearm being taken off our streets.”