Counter-Terror Police Detain Five Near US Airbase in Gloucestershire

Five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after a major incident was declared at an RAF airbase in western England, prompting the evacuation of dozens of homes and a large-scale counter-terrorism investigation.

Three vans were spotted near RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday morning, and police were called before a substantial operation in Gloucestershire placed the surrounding area under cordon. Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed on Monday that the suspects are all UK nationals in their twenties, aged between 23 and 25, and all live in London.

Gloucestershire Police said they received a call about three suspicious vehicles travelling towards the base at 00:45 BST on Sunday. Officers later arrested the five men near Whelford, a village around two miles south-east of RAF Fairford. A bomb disposal team was deployed to examine a number of vehicles, around which a 400-metre cordon remains in place. Aerial photographs showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two stationary white vans in a wooded area, though police have not confirmed its use.

Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigation. The BBC understands the operation was not intelligence-led.

The base, located in the Cotswolds about four miles south of the town of Fairford, shares a long history with the American military and has recently been used by US warplanes as a staging post for defensive strikes on Iran. The US military said it was working closely with its UK counterparts to monitor the situation, minimise impacts and ensure the safety of US personnel, their families and the local community.

There has been a large emergency service presence in the area since the early hours of Sunday, which Gloucestershire Police Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said would remain over the coming days. Blyth told a news conference on Sunday evening that the force would continue to assist Counter Terrorism Policing and liaise with other national partners. She said she would leave any declaration of a terrorist incident to the national force, and added that she believed the matter was contained when asked whether police were seeking other individuals.

The five men were initially detained on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act, before being further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. They are being held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, and a custody extension has been secured until later on Monday. Suspects arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without charge, compared with the 24-hour limit for standard arrests without an extension application. Counter Terrorism Policing have not named the men.

US President Donald Trump said those arrested were looking to do big damage, adding that they had been under view for a long time and were apprehended. An image circulating following the arrests, which BBC Verify has geolocated and confirmed appears authentic, showed detained men in Whelford about 350 metres from runway access at Crash Gate 6A. BBC Verify has also examined the branding of the three white vans. A verified image shows a red logo on one van reading Fuel 2You, with a mobile phone number also visible. When contacted, the number went straight to an automated Lycamobile voice message system.

There is no evidence that Fuel 2You is a legitimate company operating in the UK or a real brand name. BBC Verify contacted Fuel2U, a company with a similar name which delivers diesel across the country. A spokesperson said the vans are nothing to do with the company, describing it as a very unfortunate coincidence. They added that all of their vans are present and accounted for, and that even if one had been stolen it would carry their logo. The company confirmed it is a newly launched business and has never used the name Fuel 2You in any previous form, with its branding accented green rather than red.

A resident who called 999 to report the three white vans said it was pure luck that she spotted the vehicles. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she arrived home to find the driveway and road blocked and saw a large group of hooded and masked men. When they saw her, she said, they ran ahead of her, some into a field and some towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford. She told the programme she called the Ministry of Defence police at RAF Fairford but received no answer, then rang 999 at 01:36 BST. Within ten minutes, she said, the village was full of armed police. I believe that my 999 call foiled whatever plans they had, she said, adding that she was absolutely staggered it was left to a member of the public to see and report the incident. Another resident, Jeff, who did not give his surname, told the BBC he heard shouting outside his front door before looking out of his window and seeing people being held by police outside.

Eighty-five households were evacuated following the incident and urged to shelter at a nearby leisure centre. Gloucestershire Police said displaced residents have been told they will not be able to return to their homes on Sunday night. Cotswold District Council will find overnight accommodation for those affected who are unable to stay with family and friends, according to Deputy Chief Executive David Stanley. Several people told the BBC they were woken by police in the early hours of Sunday and ordered to leave. One resident, who named herself only as Jo, said they had to throw their clothes on and come without knowing anything. Another resident, Jason, said it all happened very quickly and they packed their things and left. Several people at the leisure centre were still wearing their pyjamas, according to a BBC reporter there.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the incident was deeply concerning and that the government would always take every step necessary to protect people. He urged the public not to speculate while authorities establish the full facts. Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked members of the public for their vigilance and quick action in alerting emergency services. He said the farmer who told the BBC about her 999 call did the right thing in reporting the men, but added that she only had a partial picture. The defence secretary said it was not the time for him to speculate over whether there was any Iranian involvement in the plot. On Iranian threats to the UK more generally, Streeting added that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm. In the dangerous and turbulent world we find ourselves in, he said, investment in defence is a price worth paying.

RAF Fairford has been used as a forward operating location by the US Air Force for decades. The base was occupied by USAF Strategic Air Command during the Cold War and later the first Gulf War in 1991. B-52 bombers were deployed by USAF from RAF Fairford on raids to Iraq in 2003. It was most recently used on 1 March, following a decision by former UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to allow the US to use UK bases, including RAF Fairford, for defensive strikes on Iranian capabilities. Conflict was sparked across the Middle East after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.