A major incident has been declared near RAF Fairford after five men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, with around 85 households evacuated while Army bomb disposal specialists examine three suspicious vehicles.
Gloucestershire Constabulary said officers were called at around 12.45am on Sunday 27 September following a report of three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford. Armed officers responded and subsequently arrested five men in the Whelford area, all of whom remain in police custody.
In an update issued at around 1.55pm, police said: “At around 12.45am today, Sunday the 27th of September, police received a call relating to three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford. Armed officers responded, and subsequently arrested five men in the Whelford area on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act. The men were taken into custody, where they remain.”
A 400-metre cordon has been established around the vehicles while an Army explosive ordnance disposal team examines them. Around 85 households have been advised to leave their homes as a precaution, with a nearby leisure centre opened for residents unable to stay with family or friends.
Police said: “A 400 metre cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the Army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit examine them. As a precaution, around 85 households have been advised to evacuate while these examinations take place. A nearby leisure centre has been opened for those who are unable to stay with family or friends.”
The force said work was continuing to establish the full nature of the incident and confirmed that officers were in contact with partner organisations at both local and national level, including counter-terrorism policing.
The update continued: “The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents such as this. Work to establish the full nature of this incident is ongoing, and we are in constant communication with our partners, both locally and nationally. In particular, we are working closely with our partners in counter-terrorism policing.”
Gloucestershire Constabulary said its immediate focus remained on the local community and thanked those who had been required to leave their homes.
Police said: “Gloucestershire Police’s focus at this time is on the local community, and I’d like to thank the residents who have left their homes this morning for their understanding and support. We appreciate the disruption that this will have caused to both them and other local residents in the area, and we’d like to reassure them that we are working as quickly as we can to get them back into their properties.”
The force also urged people not to speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident while enquiries continue, saying: “We would also please ask the public not to speculate, but to follow official channels for all updates.”
An earlier police statement said a number of properties in the Whelford area were being evacuated following the declaration of the major incident.
The force said: “A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident.
“It follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act.
“The Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles.
“The local residents are being evacuated to a nearby leisure centre.
“A cordon is currently in place but we’d like to reassure people that we believe this incident is contained.
“We are working closely with our partners and are enacting the well-rehearsed plans we have in place.”
RAF Fairford is a US Air Force-operated base in Gloucestershire used by the 501st Combat Support Wing and frequently supports deployments of American military aircraft to the UK. Police have not said that the five men, the vehicles or the alleged explosives offences are connected to activity at the airbase beyond stating that the vehicles were reported travelling towards RAF Fairford.
Separate social media reports published before the police announcement claimed force protection measures at Fairford had been increased, including claims that the base had moved to Force Protection Condition Delta.
A US Air Force spokesperson, responding to reporting about security at Fairford, said: “We are aware of the current reporting. For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures.”
Force Protection Conditions are used by the US military to set security measures according to the assessed threat. Delta is the highest level and is normally associated with a terrorist attack having occurred or intelligence indicating an imminent threat at a specific location, but the US Air Force has not confirmed that Fairford is operating at that level.
Good stuff… looks like they may have stopped an attack….
Well done to the police and the security Services.
Seconded. I was about to comment that such a “report of suspicious vehicles” might be the official public face of the skill and capability of the CTC, the Security Service, and our homeland surveillance capabilities tracking these people after weeks of work.
If so, brilliant. Even then, some will find an agenda to moan about them.
BBC has footage of EOD Robots looking closely at the van door handles, by the looks of it, before opening.
Yesit looks intelligence led…
Backgrounds of the 5 men arrested will be interesting and how they were recruited.