Police have charged four people after a staff member was threatened with a knife at a Manly business yesterday afternoon.

It will be alleged at 1.30pm a man and three teenage boys entered a convenience store on Trevally Crescent in Manly West. One of them allegedly threatened the female staff member with a knife demanding money then removed money from the till while the others stole food items.

The group left the store and got into a red Mitsubishi sedan. A member of the public recorded the vehicle driving away and was able to supply police with the registration and description.

Around 3pm the vehicle was sighted in the Centenary area and Polair was tasked to track the vehicle as it headed south on the Centenary Highway. The vehicle headed to Biota Street at Inala where the three passengers left the vehicle and were arrested by police a short time later.

The vehicle headed westbound on the Ipswich Motorway and was tracked by Polair before taking the Redbank Plains turn off and parking in a shopping centre carpark. The driver fled but was located and arrested by police nearby a short time later.

It will be further alleged that overnight on May 16 the vehicle had been stolen from the driveway of a residence in Oxley.

A 23-year-old Murgon man, a 15-year-old North Booval boy, a 15-year-old Inala boy and a 16-year-old Inala boy have all been charged with one count each of armed robbery in company, burglary, receiving tainted property and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The man is expected to appear at the Richlands Magistrates Court today, May 18. The boys will be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

The 23-year-old female staff member was not physically injured during the incident.