President Donald Trump has said a suspected terror plot against an RAF base used by the US Air Force was “looking to do big damage”. Five men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences and committing offences under the Explosives Act, after armed police stopped three vans in Gloucestershire in the early hours of Sunday.
President praises UK police response
Mr Trump praised the UK police response and suggested authorities already had the suspects under investigation. Using the American term for military sites – fort – to refer to RAF Fairford, which hosts USAF heavy bombers, President Trump told reporters in the US: “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.”
Prime Minister urges public not to speculate
Prime Minister Andy Burnham thanked the emergency services for their work, and urged people “not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts”. Mr Burnham said on X: “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.
“I am especially grateful to those residents who have been asked to leave their homes while precautionary checks are carried out. The safety and security of the public is our first priority, and I want people to know that we will always take every step necessary to protect our communities and keep our country safe. The investigation remains ongoing, and I would urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.”
Resident describes spotting the suspects
Three “suspicious vehicles” travelling towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire were reported to police at about 12.45am on Sunday. The men were arrested by armed officers in the Whelford area under suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act. They were then further arrested under suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.
A resident of Whelford told the Press Association she called police after she saw three vans “blocking the road”, before spotting a “large group of hooded and ‘balaclava’d’ men”. The resident, who asked not to be identified, said she was driving home in the early hours of Sunday morning when she saw 10 people in the road.
The resident said the RAF Fairford base was known by residents to be on lockdown due to a “terror threat”. She called 999 after discovering the men and said police arrived on the scene around 15 minutes later.
“They would have seen the bright headlights,” she said. “They probably thought we were the police (and) panicked.” She added: “It would appear that by doing so I just derailed whatever they were planning. A plucky amateur shouldn’t be spotting an unusual bit of activity at 1am when the air base is on high alert. I think it’s absolutely astonishing.”
Evacuations and emergency response
About 85 households have been evacuated from their homes near RAF Fairford, which is used by the United States Air Force (USAF). A major incident was declared by police and a large emergency services presence was seen in the area, including a Hazardous Area Response Team within a 400-metre cordon. Aerial footage showed a bomb disposal robot inspecting three white vans, two of which had open rear doors. Large black barrels appeared to be scattered around.
