SOURCE: BBC
Five men have been arrested and remain in custody as counter-terror police are leading an investigation into a major incident near RAF Fairford
They were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act, and have been further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act
President Donald Trump says the US had the five men “under view for a long time, and we got them”
An image geolocated by BBC Verify appears to show the detained men close to the RAF base
Gloucestershire Police say the force received a call at about 00:45 BST on Sunday morning relating to “three suspicious vehicles” travelling towards the RAF base
At a news conference, Gloucestershire police’s Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone says “work to establish the full nature of the incident is ongoing”, as 85 homes have been evacuated
RAF Fairford has long been used as a forward operating location by the US military. The country’s Air Force says it “remains vigilant” following the incident
Protection of the UK’s military sites is shared between several organisations and covers more than a hundred facilities used by the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, the Army, and other Ministry of Defence (MoD) departments.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation manages the entire defence estate. It’s part of the MoD.
Armed soldiers are provided by the Military Provost Guard Service. The MoD Guard Service provides an unarmed presence.
This image has been circulating following the arrests of five men near RAF Fairford
An image purporting to show the moment five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has been sent to BBC Your Voice.
The person who sent us the image told us it was taken last night and then shared on a local village WhatsApp group.
We are unable to verify the original source but BBC Verify has geolocated the image and can confirm it appears to be authentic.
It shows detained men in Whelford, about 350 metres from runway access at Crash Gate 6A at RAF Fairford.
This is 40 metres from where two bomb disposal vehicles were seen overnight, and 90 metres from where bomb disposal vehicles have been pictured in helicopter footage today.
It’s also about 200 metres by road from where a robot has been pictured moving between three white vans.
US President Donald Trump tells reporters that the men arrested near RAF Fairford on Sunday were “looking to do big damage”.
“We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great,” he says.
“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.
“It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job.”
1Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged people not to speculate after five men were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences.
“I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country,” Burnham writes on X, also thanking the police for their response.
He says the “safety and security of the public” is his government’s “first priority”, adding: “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.”
Jeff, one of the local people who was evacuated, says “the whole village” is at the leisure centre.
“I heard shouting outside at about 02:00 BST,” he says. “[I] looked out the window and saw men were being held by police outside the house.
“They were armed. It was surreal.”
He says he got to the leisure centre a few hours later.
“They [the leisure centre] have paid for tea, coffee, bacon sandwiches,” he says.
“We’ve been asked if we have anywhere to stay overnight.
“The whole village is here. There’s about 60 houses in the village.”
Anyone arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without charge.
That’s different to the usual 24-hour limit for standard arrests without an extension application.
The five men were arrested earlier today under the act – meaning any hypothetical charge could come as late as 11 October.
They are in custody having been arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, Counter Terrorism Police say.
The act also allows police to arrest anyone without a warrant if they are reasonably suspected of being a terrorist and provides stop and search powers.
Today’s incident has brought an unusual level of attention to a community more accustomed to a slower pace of life.
Fairford is a small Cotswold market town with a population of about 4,000 people, best known for its medieval church, stone streets and quaint riverside setting.
While the airbase sits just outside the town and is a major presence, day-to-day life is generally that of a quiet rural community – aside from the occasional roar of military aircraft heard overhead.
The exception is the annual Royal International Air Tattoo when hundreds of aircraft and tens of thousands of visitors descend on the area, briefly turning the town into a focal point for aviation enthusiasts around the globe.
Five men are currently in custody after being arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. They were also held on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.
Helicopter footage has revealed a wheeled robot, from the Army, is operating near three parked white vans in the village.
A 400m cordon is in place around the vehicles while they’re being examined, with 85 households evacuated to a leisure centre.
Gloucestershire Constabulary says they received a call at about 00:45 BST relating to “three suspicious vehicles” travelling toward RAF Fairford.
Several residents who were evacuated have told the BBC they were woken up in the night by police officers knocking on their doors.
At a news conference, Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone says: “work to establish the full nature of the incident is ongoing”.
We do not yet know who or what is behind the ongoing incident outside RAF Fairford. But some may suspect Iranian involvement.
The US Air Force has used the base to launch attacks against Iran since March.
Iran’s foreign ministry in July accused the UK of complicity in war crimes and gave this explicit warning: “Any party that, in any manner, participates in military aggression against Iran will bear responsibility for the consequences and repercussions of its decision.”
Ongoing US and Iranian diplomacy is failing to break the current impasse in the war.
Some analysts have speculated Iran may have an incentive to escalate the conflict and impose new costs on the US for failing to agree a deal.
That could involve attacks in the Middle East but also further afield. But until we know more, this is just speculation.14:01
People evacuated from their homes near RAF Fairford may have to stay overnight as the emergency services make the scene safe, a local councillor has said, as he described the incident as “destabilising”.
Gloucestershire County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson told the Press Association: “It’s not something we’ve encountered in Gloucestershire before in recent times, and so it is worrying.”
When asked whether there had been any more preparations to protect people living near Fairford amid global conflicts, Hodgkinson added: “We are in a more heightened state of awareness around these things.”
As authorities continue their enquiries, those forced to leave their properties are being supported at a leisure centre, where overnight food supplies, provided by the council, have begun arriving.
Assistant chief constable Richard Ocone from Gloucestershire police says the cordon is still in place “as a precaution” and “the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time”.
“The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents,” he adds.
He says residents who have been unable to stay with friends or relatives have been sent to a nearby leisure centre, with the force “working as quickly as possible” to get them back to their properties.
“We’d like to thank the residents who have left their homes this morning for their understanding and support.”
“We would ask the public not to speculate but to follow official channels for updates,” he adds.
We can now bring you further details from Counter Terrorism Policing.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans says they are in the “early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody”.
Counter Terrorism are “working closely” with partners to “understand the circumstances of the incident”, she says.
She adds: “We continue to work with Gloucestershire Police to keep the community safe as we work to gather evidence from the scene.”
Repeating details shared earlier, she says a 400m cordon is in place around the vehicles while the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit carries out examinations, and 85 households have been evacuated.
Counter Terrorism Policing say the five men have now been further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.
We’ll bring you more on this shortly.
Five men arrested following report of ‘three suspicious vehicles’ near RAF basepublished at 13:10
We’ve just received an update from Gloucestershire police following a major incident near RAF Fairford.
Here’s what we learnt:
Five men were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act and remain in custody
The force received a call at about 00:45 BST relating to “three suspicious vehicles” travelling toward RAF Fairford
A 400m cordon is in place around the vehicles while they are being examined, with 85 households evacuated
Ocone said work is ongoing to establish the full nature of the incident, with the force working alongside counter-terror police
Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone finishes by stressing the police’s focus is on the local community.
He thanks residents for their co-operation in evacuating, and says he appreciates the disruption this has caused.
“I would like to reassure them that we are working as quickly as we can to get them back into their properties,” he adds.
Ocon then asks the public not to speculate about the incident.
That brings the brief news conference to a close.
