Baa'd end for New Zealanders on the lam

Sheep, it seems, are more than just prolific figures on the New Zealand landscape, they also have a role in law enforcement.

A flock of sheep managed to stop a car-load of fugitives who had led police on a 90-minute chase through Central Otago in the South Island on Friday.

The sheep, who belonged to a local police officer, were being moved along a road to a new grazing block when they found themselves recruited as police deputies.

A police spokesman said the fugitives had led police on a high-speed chase and even managed to elude capture when road spikes deflated one of their car tyres.

The chase started when the car was pulled over for speeding and not having licence plates.

The driver took off at speed and refused to stop despite several police cars joining the chase, the spokesman said.

But when confronted by the flock of sheep on a road near the resort town of Queenstown, they stopped and their time on the lam came to an abrupt end. All four were arrested.