A farmer's 999 call led to the arrest of five men near RAF Fairford, thwarting a suspected terror plot. Police are investigating possible Iran links, with a bomb disposal robot at the scene. Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran orchestrated the suspected car-bomb conspiracy.
Hero farmer's quick thinking
A hero farmer called 999 and used WhatsApp to warn her neighbours after she spotted men 'hanging around' on a rural lane just moments before five suspects were detained amid a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford. Officers thwarted the feared plot targeting an RAF base used by the United States air force after the farmer called police with the crucial information. She also urged neighbours to keep their doors and windows shut.
The brave member of the public also spotted three suspicious vans near the scene, with a dramatic image appearing to show five shirtless men being held at gunpoint by armed police shortly after she made the 999 call in the early hours of Sunday. Aerial footage also captured a bomb disposal robot circling three white vans, two of which had their rear doors open, reports the Mirror.
Investigation and community response
Large black barrels were seen strewn outside. Counter-terrorism officers are now investigating whether the suspects have links to Iran, according to reports. The group, detained in the nearby village of Whelford, Gloucestershire, in the early hours of Sunday, were 'looking to do big damage', US President Donald Trump later said. Reports suggest the police operation was not intelligence-led, meaning investigators had not known about any potential plot in advance.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the incident as 'deeply concerning'. The base sits at the heart of protests surrounding the government's decision to permit the US to launch strikes on Iranian missile sites that were targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a stark warning to Britain back in July, demanding it prevent US bombers from operating out of the base. It is understood all other US bases have been placed on Delta alert, the highest threat level that can be issued by Washington's Department of Defence.
Official statements and security measures
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans stated they were in the 'early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody'. She confirmed that Counter Terrorism officers are 'working closely' with partners to 'understand the circumstances of the incident'. She added: "We continue to work with Gloucestershire Police to keep the community safe as we work to gather evidence from the scene." She confirmed a 400m cordon had been established around the vehicles while the Army's Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit conducted examinations, and 85 households were evacuated.
Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone confirmed that armed officers detained five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act.
Woman says 'my 999 call foiled their plans'
The woman who dialled emergency services noticed the men 'hanging around' two vans which seemed to belong to them, prompting her to contact police immediately. The resident, returning home from a party during the early hours, is said to have discovered abandoned vehicles on a secluded country lane and saw the 'hooded and masked' group. Speaking to the BBC, she said: "When they saw me they ran ahead of me - some into the field and some towards the neighbouring village. I then realised that something highly unusual was taking place." She said she called the Ministry of Defence but the phone rang out, so she called 999.
"Within 10 minutes the village was full of armed police. I think it was pure luck that I arrived in the village at a similar time to the vans," she added. "I am absolutely staggered that it was left to me as a member of the public to see and report this. I believe that my 999 call foiled whatever plans they had."
Alongside alerting police, she also posted a warning on a local WhatsApp group, urging residents to secure their homes. All five men were detained in under 25 minutes, with images showing them restrained in handcuffs on the street.
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, commented: "Thank goodness this woman in the village saw what she saw and had the wit to call the cops out quickly. She may well have saved a lot of lives. She saw that these guys hanging around the two vans and said they were acting suspiciously and did not appear to be locals."
The individual who captured the photographs of the five men being detained said: "I couldn't tell what was being shouted but as I got nearer the window, I could see the road was being lit up by blue flashing lights from police vehicles. On one side of the road, officers had five men lined up. They all had their shirts removed They were instructed to sit down. They were patted down by the officers and then had their shoes and socks removed. I think they must have been there for about half an hour. The suspects were then told to get up and were walked round the corner. I lost sight of them after that but I presumed they were put in police vans and led away. This all happened just outside the perimeter of RAF Fairford. The police are investigating three work vans parked a few hundred yards from my house. We've not been told much, we were just asked to evacuate our homes early this morning."
Julian Tudsbery, who has resided in the neighbouring village of Whelford for 30 years, revealed that a local resident had reported three 'suspicious vans' in the village. He said: "Evidently, they phoned the airbase police, who didn't answer the phone. It just rang out so she dialled 999." He explained he was evacuated at approximately 7am, adding: "The police were then banging on the door, so I went downstairs in my dressing gown. There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there's been a major incident, said he couldn't elaborate."
A separate woman residing on the outskirts of the base described what appeared to be a notable increase in military security measures over recent days. She said: "In the prior few weeks they have put heavy, very heavy, vehicles across all gates." She characterised them as 'very big tractors and things like that' positioned behind crash-gates at the entrance to the base, noting: "Obviously they're taking security seriously." Iran's Revolutionary Guards had previously issued a stark warning to the UK regarding permitting the US to operate bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford. In a statement carried by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, they said: "Any base that is used to invade Iran's territory is our legitimate goal."
What Burnham and Trump have said
Burnham said: "I know today's incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country. My thanks go to Gloucestershire Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, our Armed Forces and all those working to keep the public safe. The investigation remains ongoing, and I would urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts." Donald Trump hailed the arrests of the five men as 'fantastic', with the US president claiming the suspects were 'looking to do big damage' and that 'we had them under view for a long time'. Praising the UK police response as 'amazing', Trump revealed that Washington and London had been working in close cooperation throughout the operation. He said: "It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They, they were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great. It may have been Scotland Yard, I don't know. We worked with a lot of them. We had them under view for a long time, and we got them. Thank you."
The incident is expected to intensify scrutiny over the challenging defence spending decisions facing Burnham and Chancellor John Healey ahead of next month's Budget. Mr Burnham's predecessor Keir Starmer initially declined to allow American bombers to operate from British bases following the start of the Iran conflict in February, provoking anger from President Donald Trump, who remarked the former Labour leader was 'no Winston Churchill'. However, he subsequently changed course and granted the US authorisation in March for the 'specific and limited defensive purpose' of destroying Iranian missiles 'at source'. Individuals detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be held for up to 14 days without being charged. This differs from the standard 24-hour limit for regular arrests without an extension request. The five men were apprehended under the act - meaning any potential charge could come as late as October 11.
