Local resident’s late-night call may have foiled RAF Fairford terror plot

Five men arrested as bomb squad examines three vans near US base used in Iran strikes

A quiet Cotswolds village became the centre of a major counter-terrorism operation after a local resident spotted three suspicious vans in the early hours and called police — triggering the arrest of five men and the evacuation of around 85 homes near RAF Fairford.

The men were initially arrested under the Explosives Act after armed officers stopped the vehicles in Whelford, which backs onto the Gloucestershire airbase. They were later arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and remain in custody. Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation.

Three vans — and a bomb disposal robot

The seriousness of the incident became clear when Army explosive ordnance disposal specialists were sent in to examine the vehicles.

A 400-metre cordon was established and residents were ordered from their homes as bomb disposal experts examined the three vans. Images from the scene showed a specialist robot operating around the vehicles, while armed police, ambulances, fire crews and other emergency teams flooded the normally quiet area.

Police said the incident was contained, but residents were still unable to return home on Sunday evening.

One resident described being woken at around 6am by police officers ordering him to evacuate. Another said messages had circulated about vans blocking a village lane before police arrived.

The crucial detail is that ITV reports the police operation was not intelligence-led — investigators had not known about a potential plot before the suspicious vehicles were reported.

Why RAF Fairford matters

This was no random military target.

RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force during the war with Iran, including operations against Iranian missile sites. The base is capable of hosting America's heavy bombers, including B-1 and B-52 aircraft, making it a particularly significant US military facility in Britain.

That has put Fairford firmly on Tehran's radar. Iranian officials have previously warned that bases used to attack Iranian territory could be regarded as legitimate targets. British authorities are now investigating whether there is a connection between those threats and the events at Whelford.

Iran link being investigated — but not proven

The Iran connection is therefore one of the most important parts of the story, but it remains an investigative line rather than an established fact.

ITV reports that one line of inquiry is whether representatives of the Iranian regime paid others to carry out the alleged plot. Other reporting has similarly said counter-terrorism investigators are examining a possible Iranian connection.

There is another intriguing wrinkle.

President Donald Trump said the arrests were the result of British and American cooperation and claimed the suspects had been "under view for a long time" and were looking to cause "big damage". That claim has not been matched by the British description of the incident as a response to a public tip-off.

For now, police are warning against speculation while they establish exactly what was being planned, who was behind it and whether the suspects had any connection to Iran.

But one thing is already clear: what began with a resident noticing three unusual vans in the middle of the night rapidly became a major counter-terrorism operation on the doorstep of a US bomber base at the heart of Britain's involvement in the Iran conflict.

AN ORIGINAL

The farmer who stumbled into the RAF Fairford scare

The dramatic incident near RAF Fairford began not with a major intelligence operation, but with a local farmer driving home from a party in the early hours.

She came across three white vans apparently blocking a quiet country road near Whelford, close to the US-linked airbase. Then she saw a group of men, several wearing balaclavas, running away towards woodland and open fields, with some apparently heading in the direction of the base.

It was around 1am. She turned the car around and got away before contacting police. When an attempt to contact airbase police reportedly went unanswered, she dialled 999 and also warned neighbours through a local WhatsApp group.

Five men were subsequently arrested and police began examining the vans. Army bomb-disposal specialists were brought in and a large area around the vehicles was cordoned off. Residents of around 85 homes were evacuated as a precaution and taken to a leisure centre in nearby Cirencester.

The farmer later said she was struck by how unusual the whole scene was.

“You don’t see masked men running around at 1am in the countryside near a secure air base,” she said, describing it as astonishing that a local resident had been the person to spot the suspicious activity.

The investigation is now being handled with counter-terrorism involvement. Police have said the incident is contained, while authorities investigate what was inside the vehicles and what the five arrested men may have been intending.

The importance of the location is clear.

RAF Fairford is a major US Air Force facility in Gloucestershire and has become particularly significant during the conflict involving Iran. US bombers have operated from the base, while Tehran has previously warned Britain about allowing American aircraft to use British bases for operations against Iran.

Security around Fairford has consequently been heightened. Earlier this year, roads around the base were closed amid security concerns and protective screening was installed along parts of the perimeter. The Royal International Air Tattoo was also cancelled after organisers said the RAF and US Air Force needed to maintain unrestricted operational readiness at the base.

For residents of Whelford, however, the international significance of the base suddenly became very personal.

Some were woken by helicopters during the night before armed police arrived at their homes in the morning and ordered them to leave. One resident described being told to evacuate immediately while still in bedclothes.

The incident remains under investigation. But the sequence of events has already raised one striking question: how different might the morning have looked if that farmer had simply driven past?

Full Story:

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16165001/masked-men-hero-farmer-scared-bombers-early-hours.html

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Macro

4 minutes ago, Macro said:

a "local farmer" driving home from a party in the early hours.

Oh a farmer was she? Is nobody watching Slow Horses?

Sorry i missed the names and descriptions? Were they 5 WHITE MEN?

You know, sometimes these foreign terrorists we welcomed through our open borders(only for fighting age muslim males) are not really our greatest strength after all. What say the forum Brits?

36 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Sorry i missed the names and descriptions? Were they 5 WHITE MEN?

You know, sometimes these foreign terrorists we welcomed through our open borders(only for fighting age muslim males) are not really our greatest strength after all. What say the forum Brits?

The Leftie's will find a way to blame the Far Right SunnyinBangrak Bud even though the 5 x suspects bare a striking resemblance to the Staff of my local Kebab Shop.

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

The crucial detail is that ITV reports the police operation was not intelligence-led — investigators had not known about a potential plot before the suspicious vehicles were reported.

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

There is another intriguing wrinkle.

President Donald Trump said the arrests were the result of British and American cooperation and claimed the suspects had been "under view for a long time" and were looking to cause "big damage". That claim has not been matched by the British description of the incident as a response to a public tip-off.

And here is the liar in chief again trying to take credit for it

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

Oh a farmer was she? Is nobody watching Slow Horses?

Out with the dog's 🤔

This is a shocking lapse of security and only by chance did a local resident stumble upon these guys late at night. Worse, still she becomes the hero by alerting police - but no one answered her first call to police at the airbase, so she had to call the regular police emergency line. Like the above news report summarizes, what if this woman hadn't come across these guys? Where are the patrols? Both police and military??

29 minutes ago, 23RD said:

The Leftie's will find a way to blame the Far Right SunnyinBangrak Bud even though the 5 x suspects bare a striking resemblance to the Staff of my local Kebab Shop.

Those Brits get everywhere probably just looking for Ashton Keynes lake for a spot of fishing Wes'🤔

37 minutes ago, 23RD said:

The Leftie's will find a way to blame the Far Right SunnyinBangrak Bud even though the 5 x suspects bare a striking resemblance to the Staff of my local Kebab Shop.

Yes but its very odd. After poor AW's slaughtering at the hands of the soyboy we were IMMEDIATELY told in gleeful tones the suspect was a WHITE MALE.

I thought it was a new norm. 🤣

39 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

This is a shocking lapse of security and only by chance did a local resident stumble upon these guys late at night. Worse, still she becomes the hero by alerting police - but no one answered her first call to police at the airbase, so she had to call the regular police emergency line. Like the above news report summarizes, what if this woman hadn't come across these guys? Where are the patrols? Both police and military??

How can this be a lapse in security? UK is not a police state. They don't follow every white 2.5T truck.

One can drive within metres of the airbase at anytime. Just have a wander around on Google maps you could drive right up to the "tennis fence" airfield boundary. The Airforce Regiment are probably responsible for actual airfield security but maybe not on UK soil.

And we still don't know if the "farmer" was actually a farmer. Maybe her name is Standish?