RAF Fairford suspect 'rang police on himself' before he was arrested
One of the men who was arrested over a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford rang the police shortly before the group was detained.
Five British nationals, aged between 23 and 25, were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism in the early hours of Sunday (27 September) morning.
A farmer from Whelford told the media that she called 999 at 1.36am after spotting three vans parked up and a ‘large group of hooded and ‘balaclava’d’ men’.
She also claimed that police had ‘dropped the ball’, adding: “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.”
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However, it has now emerged that one of the suspects had called the police around an hour before, according to a new report from The Times.
It is unclear why the suspect would have called 999.
The five men who were arrested have since been released on bail, but police have said ‘they absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry’.
Head of UK counter-terrorism policing assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said on Tuesday that the initial police response was activated in the early hours of Sunday ‘due to a range of information that we received’.
He also confirmed that no explosives were found in any of the vehicles.
"Those vehicles have been subject to extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts, and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found," he said.
"However, a quantity of petrol was recovered.
"Yesterday we released the five men on police bail. They remain under investigation and must adhere to strict conditions while we continue our work. The safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision-making, and this was certainly the case yesterday.
"I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I'd like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers."
He also reiterated that the men who were bailed are still ‘under investigation’ and ‘must adhere to very strict conditions’.
He added: “It’s really important that you understand that the safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision making, and this was certainly the case yesterday.
“Now I understand why this development was surprising to some, but I would like to reiterate that this is an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and strategy.”
Donald Trump said he 'wouldn't' have granted suspects bail
RAF Fairford has been used in recent months by US bombers to launch airstrikes against Iran.
Speaking from the Oval Office earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said he was ‘surprised’ that the men had been granted bail and suggested the alleged plot ‘might be’ linked to Iran.
He said: “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.”
However, he then went on to praise the UK police, adding: “They’ve been very good. They worked with us very closely. We know everything about them [the suspects]. We would not have released them.”
Iran has denied any involvement in the incident, with Tehran’s embassy in London condemning what it described as ‘unfounded and malicious speculation’.
Claire Reid