Major incident declared near RAF base as update issued over ‘explosives offences’
An investigation has been launched by counter-terrorism police after several men were arrested for explosive offences near an RAF Base.
The police operation near the village of Whelford in Gloucestershire was not intelligence-led, meaning investigators had not known about any potential plot in advance.
Villagers have been evacuated from their homes near RAF Fairford, which is used by the United States Air Force (USAF), and the Army’s explosives experts are examining vehicles, police said.
A large emergency services presence was seen in the area, including a Hazardous Area Response Team.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the situation, while UK secretary of state for defence Wes Streeting said people should be 'reassured that this [incident] is being dealt with'.
Gloucestershire Police said: "A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident.
"It follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offences under the explosives act.
"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."
Locals who have been evacuated from their homes have been using a local leisure centre as a rest point as the investigation continues, while a spokesperson for the US Air Force suggested that they were remaining 'vigilant' following the arrests.
Armed police have been on the scene for much of this morning (Sunday 27 September), with eye witnesses suggesting that they've been protecting the entrance to the RAF bas
Thankfully, it seems as if the situation is now 'contained' but it is still a 'worrying' one, with more details about the arrests likely to be made public in the coming days.
The incident comes at a time where geopolitical tensions are already extremely high and concerns about the threat that hostile states could pose to the UK, with the likes of Russia and Iran both acting via proxies to commit crimes on British soil.
A Government spokesperson said: “We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing.”
The US Air Force has also thanked the UK emergency services for their swift response to the incident.
They added that: "No US Air Force personnel are involved in the incident.
"We remain in close coordination with our UK partners to help ensure the safety and security of both our military and local communities."
James Moorhouse