One of the five suspects arrested over the RAF Fairford incident reportedly called 999 himself before the group were detained, according to reports. This comes despite a local farmer claiming she phoned police after seeing “masked men” arrive at the military base around 1.30am on Sunday.
Arrests and release on bail
In the early hours of Sunday morning, five British nationals – all in their 20s and from London – were arrested and later released on bail. Officers continue to probe several theories around the incident outside the base in Whelford, Gloucestershire, which is used by the US to strike Iran.
The incident sparked international speculation, with US President Donald Trump saying the men should not have been released and his secretary of state Marco Rubio claiming a “foreign actor” was involved.
Petrol found, no explosives
Another theory that emerged was that the men might have been fuel thieves, after the head of the UK’s National Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said a “quantity of petrol” was found. In a statement, he said: “As part of the investigation, we have searched properties in London which I can confirm have concluded. We can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found [in the vans]. However, a quantity of petrol was recovered.”
Witness account from Whelford
A local from Whelford village revealed to the Press Association that she had noticed vehicles “blocking the road” and a “large group of hooded and 'balaclava'd' men” on her drive home. “They would have seen the bright headlights,” she said. “They probably thought we were the police (and) panicked.” She continued: “It would appear that by doing so I just derailed whatever they were planning.”
The police arrived at the scene approximately 15 minutes after she rang 999, she reported. At the time, residents believed the base was under lockdown due to a “terror threat”, she added. “A plucky amateur shouldn't be spotting an unusual bit of activity at 1am when the air base is on high alert,” she added. “I think it's absolutely astonishing.” In a separate chat with The Telegraph, she mentioned that she had been driving home from a party when she spotted the vans with seemingly fake phone numbers and lettering on them.
