Farmer who 'foiled RAF terror attack' speaks out to describe the men she surprised
A woman who called the police after spotting vans blocking the road near RAF Fairford shortly before a ‘major incident’ was declared has spoken out about what she saw.
The heroic farmer, who asked not to be named, said she was driving home to the Whelford village, Gloucestershire, when she saw the vehicles blocking the road and a ‘large group of hooded and ‘balaclava’d’ men’.
Speaking to the Press Association, she said: “They would have seen the bright headlights.
“They probably thought we were the police (and) panicked.”
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She added: “It would appear that by doing so I just derailed whatever they were planning.”
The woman said police arrived at the scene around 15 minutes after she called 999.
She told PA that local residents had at the time understood the base was on lockdown due to a ‘terror threat’.
“A plucky amateur shouldn’t be spotting an unusual bit of activity at 1am when the air base is on high alert,” she said.
“I think it’s absolutely astonishing.”
In an interview with The Telegraph, the woman claimed the vehicles she saw had ‘apparently fake phone numbers and lettering on’ and she initially thought they had been abandoned until she spotted the group of men.
The woman said she accelerated away and called the force before texting a local WhatsApp group to warn people to lock their doors.
“Thinking about it now, and what could have happened if they had tried to stop me from driving away, I am quite lucky,” she told The Telegraph.
“It is pretty incredible, realising you had a brush with potential terrorists face to face and may have foiled a terrorist plot. It was clear they had just got there. Thank God we spotted them.”
She said: “I just thought what the hell are they doing… I saw a group of Middle Eastern-looking young guys running off through the trees. Some of them had masks or balaclavas on, and they all scattered ahead of us as we drove back past.
“Some of them ran into the fields, and some of them turned to run towards the air base.
“We realised this was something pretty serious. We knew the air base had a credible threat of a terrorist attack before last night. So as soon as I saw them I was worried.
“I mean, you don’t see masked men running around at half one in the morning in the countryside near a secure air base and not have concerns.”
Five men has been arrested in connection to the incident
Police have since said that five men have been arrested.
Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone confirmed in a press conference this afternoon that the men were arrested on suspicion of Explosives Act offence, after reports of three suspicious vans travelling towards the RAF base.
They have since been further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the incident near RAF Fairford was ‘deeply concerning’ and the Government will “always take every step necessary” to protect people.
He posted on X: “I know today’s incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and for many people following developments across the country. My thanks go to Gloucestershire Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, our Armed Forces and all those working to keep the public safe.
“I am especially grateful to those residents who have been asked to leave their homes while precautionary checks are carried out. The safety and security of the public is our first priority, and I want people to know that we will always take every step necessary to protect our communities and keep our country safe. The investigation remains ongoing, and I would urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.”
Claire Reid