A farmer from Whelford has expressed frustration over a lack of follow-up from authorities after she reported suspicious activity near RAF Fairford, which later resulted in arrests on terrorism-related charges.
The woman, in her 50s, described how on her way home from a party with her husband and an employee, she noticed vans parked in an unusual formation blocking both the road and farm drive. She recalled, “You couldn’t drive between them on the road, and you also couldn’t drive up the farm drive. When you live in Whelford, you notice everything. We all know what cars each other drives, the people in our community, and those who frequently cycle through.”
One van bore strange sign writing, leading her to initially suspect it was an undercover police vehicle. Upon inspection, the vans appeared empty, and attempts to contact a number displayed on one van failed. After dropping their employee off, the group encountered a large number of men who appeared panicked and fled when their vehicle’s lights shone on them.
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Despite five men being arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences, the farmer estimated the group numbered between eight and ten, all wearing face coverings and slim-fitting clothing.
She detailed attempts to contact authorities, saying the Ministry of Defence police line rang unanswered and the 101 number left her on hold. Eventually, she called 999 at 1:36 am and alerted neighbours via a village WhatsApp group. Within minutes, armed police arrived, arrests were made, and a helicopter searched the area for hours.
However, the farmer criticised the apparent lack of communication afterwards. “The police didn’t ring me back despite having my details, and nobody informed the village of what was happening,” she said. She noted that vans remained parked in the village near homes until an evacuation was ordered several hours later.
Responding to her account, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting suggested she only had “a partial picture” of events. The farmer countered, “I don’t know if that’s the full picture or not, but no official has contacted me or anyone else in the village since, which is very odd.”
Gloucestershire Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone previously stated that police received a report concerning “three suspicious vehicles” heading toward the base at 12:45 am.
The farmer called for acknowledgement of mistakes in the response, saying, “I’m a real person, not an undercover agent or a nosy neighbour. There needs to be transparency about what happened and when. If officials had a call about the vans before I discovered them, what occurred in that time gap?”
Though she downplays being seen as a hero, she remarked, “Anyone who saw what I saw would have done the same.”
Gloucestershire Police have been contacted for comment regarding the incident and the concerns raised by the local resident.