Farmer who 'foiled RAF terror attack' shares the text she sent to alert neighbours of 'something very odd'
A farmer who 'foiled' a suspected terror attack at an RAF base shared a warning in a WhatsApp group for locals after coming across three suspicious white vans blocking the road.
It comes after five British nationals were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism on Sunday (27 September).
The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, was driving home to the village of Whelford when she saw vehicles blocking the road and a large group of men in hoods and balaclavas.
She claimed there were three suspicious vans parked near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which is used by the USA.
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She called the police and also messaged a local WhatsApp group to tell people to lock their doors.
The message has now been published by the Daily Mail. It read: "If anyone is awake... something very odd is going on in the village.
"The road by the village hall is blocked by three white vans and we saw a group of masked men. I've called the police to report it."
When officers arrived, five men were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences, and we're now starting to learn more about what happened.
Gloucestershire Constabulary was initially alerted to three suspicious vans travelling towards the airfield at 12.45am.
Residents evacuated from about 85 households were able to return home on Monday, but a cordon remains in place around the vehicles.
Prime minister Andy Burnham chaired a COBRA meeting to discuss the incident yesterday afternoon (28 September), saying he wanted to ensure ministers had 'the full picture'.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference, home secretary Shabana Mahmood told the Swindon Advertiser the government remained 'focused' on the incident, and urged the public not to 'read into' ministers' reluctance to talk about it.
Police are considering 'every possible angle', including the use of proxies by a hostile state. It is understood the material found was not viable explosives, but police have stressed that the investigation is continuing.
Five suspects have since been released on bail over the suspected terror plot.
Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Monday, the head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, explained: "Following extensive interviews and inquiries, the five men who were arrested are being released on police bail this afternoon.
“To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over. They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others.
"They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry."
Iran denies involvement in 'plot'
Acknowledging speculation over whether Iran was behind the plot, he said police are keeping an open mind, and one possibility could be proxies 'either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state'.
Iran and other hostile states, including Russia, have been known to use criminal proxies to carry out crimes on their behalf on UK soil.
Iran's London embassy earlier said it 'categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations' of Iranian involvement.
“At Counter Terrorism Policing, we are working within this context every single day and, at this stage, we are keeping an open mind in this investigation," Taylor said.
“We have, as you would expect, ensured that our protective security advice and posture remain commensurate to the threat.
“But be assured, we are considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state.
“To respond to incidents such as these, rapid mobilisation is necessary, as we cannot take the risk whilst assessing that threat.
“However, once we understand the threat more clearly, we seek to return affected communities to normality as quickly as possible.”
Speaking in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump said the alleged plot “might be” linked to Iran, and added: “I will tell you, I would have said ‘Don’t let them have bail’.
“I’m surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have done that.”
But he repeated his praise of the UK police, saying: “They’ve been very good. They worked with us very closely. We know everything about them (the suspects). We would not have released them.”
Topics: UK News
James Holt