No improvised explosive devices were found in the three vehicles examined after five men were arrested close to RAF Fairford at the weekend, although a quantity of petrol was recovered, according to Counter Terrorism Policing.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, gave the update on Tuesday evening. “Those vehicles have been subject to extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts, and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found. However, a quantity of petrol was recovered,” he said.
He also set out what prompted the response in the first place. “A police response was activated in the early hours of Sunday morning due to a range of information received, including a call from a member of the public about several vehicles acting suspiciously close to RAF Fairford,” he said, thanking those who had contacted police with information and saying the events of recent days had reaffirmed the part the public plays.
The investigation has extended well beyond Gloucestershire in the days since. “As part of the investigation, we have searched properties in London which I can confirm have concluded,” Taylor said. The scenes around the airfield are being reduced and the assistant commissioner said he anticipated closing them down completely by Wednesday, which he described as an important step towards restoring normality for the local community.
The five men were released on police bail on Monday, a development Taylor acknowledged had not been universally expected. “They remain under investigation and must adhere to strict conditions while we continue our work. The safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision making, and this was certainly the case yesterday,” he said. “I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I’d like to reiterate that it was investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers.”
Counter Terrorism Policing has released only limited details of those arrested, all five of whom are British nationals resident in London, one aged 25 and the others aged between 23 and 24, with four living in the borough of Westminster and one in Camden, and none of them has been named.
The men were arrested on Sunday morning on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and later of preparation of a terrorist act under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act, after Gloucestershire Constabulary declared a major incident and evacuated properties in the village of Whelford next to the airfield. Taylor said on Monday that investigators were keeping an open mind on whether the current international situation had any bearing on the case, and that they were considering the possibility of activity by proxies or by individuals knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state, as we reported.
He thanked the community near the airfield, Gloucestershire Police, and what he called many partners in Britain and the United States supporting the investigation.
Fairford is a United States Air Force forward operating location whose long runway has made it the standing European base for American strategic bombers, and B-1B Lancers have been operating from the airfield. The base moved to its highest force protection condition before the arrests were made.
The investigation continues, and anyone with information has been asked to contact the police.
I thought anti terrorist legislation allowed a suspect to be held for up to 14 without charge?
So to be released on bail, while Trump was hinting at a bigger picture, the preparations of heightened threat ongoing for days before, and the speed of the response of the security services, makes me wonder what exactly is all this about?
Maybe petrol thieves like that from Larkhill Garrison last summer.
Clearly they were not terrorists. The establishment just needs to work out how to say this without upsetting the Orange person.
Good analysis, Daniele, but the legal reality explains the quick bail. Under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, they can only hold a suspect if there is reasonable suspicion they are actively preparing or committing an act of terrorism.
The moment forensics confirmed zero viable IEDs and just plain petrol, the entire statutory framework for a terror detention legally collapsed. If the police had tried to hold simple fuel thieves under anti-terror laws for 14 days, it would be thrown out as an unlawful detention.
They had to bail them under the initial terror arrest log while the CPS strips the political theatre away and hands the file down to local police to re-arrest them under standard Theft Act charges (going equipped/trespass). It’s Larkhill all over again, just with Washington jumping the gun to save face
Hi M8 You have to remember that the stupidity of some of our home grown crooks is quite unbelievable. As for Trumps comments well I think it may be of him putting a little bit of knowledge together with how it looked and made a not unreasonable assumption.
On the other hand it pretty well gave the entire security service a bit of a Real life exercise and an opportunity to learn some very big lessons.
TBH one of those should be an immediate no fly / no drone restriction over all U.K bases at the first whiff of trouble, and perhaps think about staggering weekends off so at least some of our forces are available for use.
A couple of Apaches should shoo the BBC off !
It may help some if Farage learnt to keep his piehole shut until he has all the facts, the Muppet will never learn will he??
I reckon we gain the most from this. Serves as a lesson for our lot, as we’ve learned that Base Security’s local phone number wasn’t picked up. So everyone at all the bases will now have 24/7 monitoring of that line if they want to learn something quick and easy.
Second, any communication foul ups can be ironed out when the threat was Petrol thieves, now when the real deal comes or not, they have clear comms and lines of “attack” for their guys.
Fuel Thieves might’ve just given the UK a chance to have an unannounced full scale training exercise that no one planned in… So, despite their criminality, they might actually have saved some lives down the road.
And politically, it goes to show the Americans that their bases will have full responses behind calls nearby.