A local hero raised the alarm over a suspected car bomb plot on RAF Fairford after she reported several men ‘acting suspiciously’ to police.
Police have confirmed several men were taken into custody on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act after viable incendiary devices and chemicals were found in a van parked near the army base in Gloucestershire on Sunday.
The group was found with three white vans and were filmed during their arrests as they sat shirtless while handcuffed, indicating officers may also have suspected they were wearing suicide vests.
Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, said a resident had reported three ‘suspicious vans’ in the village.
‘Evidently, they phoned the airbase police, who didn’t answer the phone,’ he said. ‘It just rang out so she dialled 999.’
Mr Tudsbery said he was evacuated from his home at around 7am.
He added: ‘(The police) were then banging on the door, so I went downstairs in my dressing gown.
‘There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there’s been a major incident, said he couldn’t elaborate.’
Five men were pictured shirtless near RAF Fairford after being arrested this morning under the Explosives Act
The group was rounded up and put in handcuffs sat on the road as security bosses sent in Army bomb experts and the SAS to tackle the threat
Three white vans have been probed by a wheeled robot attached to the bomb squad after five men were arrested following a ‘foiled terror plot’ on RAF Fairford (pictured)
The bomb disposal robot was seen going between each of the parked vans
The robot was captured travelling down a deserted road before it probed three white vans
He said he had left behind his cat, Misty, at the home he shares with his wife.
It comes as aerial footage captured by a helicopter showed a bomb disposal robot probing three white vans parked near the airbase.
The wheeled robot was seen travelling down a deserted rural road before approaching the vehicles. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black items could be seen scattered inside.
Earlier, Gloucestershire Police said the Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team would examine a number of vehicles in the village of Whelford.
The force has not confirmed which vehicles were being examined, or mentioned the use of a bomb disposal robot during its investigations.
Counter-terrorism police are understood to be leading the investigation into the incident amid suspicions a potential attack may have been foiled.
Jason, 50, left his Whelford home with his family, their 11-week old puppy and two cats to travel to a nearby leisure centre.
He said around 40 or 50 people had been evacuated from their homes, with about 20 people remaining at the centre as of 12.30pm.
Between 40 and 50 residents have been evacuated to the Cirencester Leisure Centre
Armed police around the village of Whelford, near RAF Fairford this morning
A B-1B Lancer bomber pictured at the air base, which has been used to mount US strikes against Iran since the US-led war began
A vehicle which appeared to be a tractor blocked a gate at RAF Fairford this morning
Jason said the village ‘always feels pretty safe’ but that there had been ‘heightened tensions’ due to the base being used by the US Air Force.
‘I think some of the other residents have noticed more police patrols and things like that,’ he said. ‘But I’ve not I’ve not really noticed any particular difference.’
He said there were messages on a village chat about vans blocking one of the lanes and that he heard a helicopter overhead about 1.30am today.
‘Then I went to bed,’ he said. ‘Then we were woken up about 6am with a couple of police at the door.’
A Government spokesman said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being ‘kept updated’ from Liverpool, where the Labour Party conference will be held today.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said of the incident: ‘We can be reassured that this is being dealt with.’
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the incident was ‘contained’ on X.
She wrote: ‘I would like to thank emergency services for their swift response to the major incident in Gloucestershire this morning and their reassurance that they believe the incident is contained.
‘Whilst investigations are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.’
Emergency services vehicles including fire engines descended on Whelford as the major incident was investigated
RAF Fairford is the US Air Force’s command outpost for operations from Europe and has been used for American strikes on Iranian missile sites that have been attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The base was the subject of a warning from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in July, with the regime warning Britain not to allow US bombers to fly from the base.
In June, the US government said it would spend around $500million (£377million) on ‘expansion and military infrastructure’ at RAF Fairford, understood to include a new hangar complex.
A month earlier the Royal International Air Tattoo, set to be held at the base in July, was cancelled after the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises (RAFCTE) said the ‘escalating geopolitical situation in the Middle East’ had required a ‘significant increase in real-world operational missions’ from RAF Fairford.
RAFCTE said both the Royal and US air forces needed to ‘maintain unrestricted, 24/7 operational readiness at the base’.
Shortly after the US and Israel began the war with Iran on February 28, roads surrounding RAF Fairford were closed in a bid to ‘address safety and access issues’.
Protective screens were mounted on the base’s perimeter fences in March to stop filming after it became popular with plane spotters when US bombers began arriving.
That month US military personnel at the base were pictured preparing explosives at the base as Washington intensified strikes on Iran.
