A suspected terror plot to bomb an RAF base was foiled when a farmer in a sleepy village rang 999 to report men in balaclavas acting suspiciously near white vans. Police swooped on RAF Fairford – used by the US military to launch attacks on Iran – and the Army's bomb disposal team were seen using robots to scan the vans. Five men were arrested and later bailed, and a counter-terrorism probe is ongoing.
Glasgow Airport Attack Heroes
Taxi driver Alex McIlveen was one of six men hailed as heroes for intervening in a terror attempt at Glasgow airport in 2007. He kicked one of the would-be bombers so hard in the groin that he tore a tendon in his own foot. Fellow have-a-go-hero Stephen Clarkson became enraged after witnessing the commotion and being pepper-sprayed by cops trying to stop the terrorists, so brought one of them down with a "wee forearm smash."
Stephen was dubbed the "secret hero" by a newspaper as he didn't want any fuss and later scooped £500 by backing a racehorse with that name. He tragically died after a battle with a rare cancer last year.
All-Female Terror Plot
Britain's youngest female terrorist was jailed for life in 2018 for plotting to bomb a London target with her mother and sister. Safaa Boular planned to attack the British Museum after being seduced by jihadi fighter Naweed Hussain while sitting her GCSEs. Branded the "Mad Hatter" after she used coded language with an Alice In Wonderland tea party theme to discuss the plot, Hussain urged her to attack the UK but gave away his plans to MI5 officers posing online as extremists.
They bugged Boular's family home in Vauxhall, south London, and swooped before they could execute their plans. Her sister Rizlaine was jailed for life and her mum Mina Dich got six years and nine months.
Shoe Bomber Tackled by Passengers
Another would-be plane hijacker tackled by have-a-go heroes was attempted shoe-bomber Richard Reid, 32, from Bromley, Kent. The Muslim convert was tackled by passengers including Kwame James, a 6 foot 8 inch professional basketball player. The American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami was diverted to Boston after Reid lit a match in mid-flight and apparently tried to set fire to his shoes, which were later found to be packed with explosives - just three months after the 9/11 attacks.
James told US media that a doctor onboard injected Reid before fellow passengers "tied him up" with belts and headphone cords. He said Reid gave up a fierce fight but was ultimately outmuscled and was restrained for the rest of the flight by James and two others. He said at the time: "We didn't sit on him. We kept him in his seat. He was tied up pretty good with all the belts and everything else... we just pretty much held him from, like, his shoulders and his upper body so he couldn't move any rapid movements." Reid was jailed for life.
Prince George Plot and Gunpowder Plot
Islamic State group supporter Husnain Rashid was jailed in 2018 after calling for an attack on Prince George, the second in line to the throne. He posted a photograph on a chat group of the then-four-year-old prince at his school, super-imposed with silhouettes of two masked jihad fighters. The 32-year-old also listed the school's address and wrote: "Even the royal family will not be left alone. School starts early." He admitted four terrorism charges and was handed a life sentence, with a 25-year tariff later reduced to 19 years on appeal. Rashid also suggested injecting poison into supermarket ice creams and bringing down an aircraft using lasers.
Millions of Brits celebrate Bonfire Night with fireworks every November to mark the most famous foiled terror plot of all – an attempt by a group of Catholics to blow up Parliament and King James I in 1605. Led by Robert Catesby, they were angry at the refusal to grant religious freedom to Roman Catholics. But their plan was rumbled when Guy Fawkes was found in a rented cellar underneath the House of Lords with 36 barrels of explosives and a set of matches. The authorities were tipped off by an anonymous letter sent to Lord Monteagle warning him not to attend Parliament, sparking the search. Fawkes was tortured and gave up the names of his co-conspirators, who were all executed.
Lion of London Bridge
While not a bomb plot, footy fan Roy Larner was dubbed the "Lion of London Bridge" after he tackled machete-wielding terrorists with his bare fists in 2017. With no thought for his own safety, Roy weighed into the terror nuts after snarling at them: "F*** you, I'm Millwall!" Roy, of Peckham, South East London, was stabbed eight times in the head, chest and both hands. His actions are said to have saved lives as people were able to escape while he was grappling with the killers. Proud mum Phyllis said at the time: "Roy is quite lippy. He's fearless, my son."
