Five arrested over bomb plot near RAF Fairford as 85 homes evacuated

Counter-terrorism police are leading the probe into a bomb plot which saw five men arrested and prompted the evacuation of 85 homes near the base.

A major incident was declared in Whelford, Gloucestershire, on Sunday morning, which saw the suspects arrested on suspicion of explosive offences.

The village is near the RAF Fairford base, which also hosts the United States Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing, and 85 residents were evacuated to a local leisure centre.

Police were alerted to three suspicious vans by a resident who called police after she saw them "blocking the road" when she was driving home in the early hours.

President Trump told reporters in the US: "It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job.

The Fairford resident, who asked not to be named, said: "They would have seen the bright headlights. They probably thought we were the police and panicked.

"It would appear that by doing so I just derailed whatever they were planning.

"A plucky amateur shouldn’t be spotting an unusual bit of activity at 1am when the air base is on high alert. I think it’s absolutely astonishing."

A spokesperson for the US Air Force told LBC that it remains vigilant and would "take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security" of its members, civilians, contractors, and their families.

US President Donald Trump told reporters the men arrested near RAF Fairford on Sunday were "looking to do big damage" and said the US "had them under view for a long time".

RAF Fairford had previously raised it’s threat level earlier this week but while a police cordon is in place, officers are reassuring the public that they believe the incident is "contained".

One resident living on a road by the base described an apparent increase in military security in recent weeks.

A government spokesperson said that Andy Burnham was being kept updated on the incident while at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.

Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator, Vicki Evans, said a 400m cordon remains in place.

She said: "We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody.

"As you would expect we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.

"We continue to work with Gloucestershire Police to keep the community safe as we work to gather evidence from the scene.

"As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place."

Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone told reporters: "The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents.

"A cordon is in place as a precaution and the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time.

"A nearby leisure centre has been opened to provide a safe space for anyone evacuated and unable to go to friends or relatives."

A woman, who asked not to be identified, said "In the prior few weeks they have put heavy, very heavy, vehicles across all gates."

She described them as "very big tractors" parked behind crash-gates into the base.

"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."

Andy Burnham maintained the UK’s agreement to allow the US to use British bases, including RAF Fairford.

A US Air Force spokesperson said: "We are aware of the current reporting.

"For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures.

"The 501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-based Wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families.