A local resident has recounted how she alerted authorities after noticing suspicious activity involving vans blocking a road and a group of hooded men near RAF Fairford, which led to the arrest of five men on terrorism-related charges.
In the early hours of Sunday, armed police stopped three vans and detained five individuals suspected of explosives and terrorism offences. Approximately 85 homes in the vicinity of the airbase were evacuated as a precaution.
The Whelford villager explained that she spotted the vehicles obstructing the road and then saw a large group of men wearing hoodies and balaclavas while driving home from a party. She said, “They would have seen the bright headlights; perhaps they mistook us for the police and panicked.”
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She reflected, “It appears that by calling it in, I disrupted whatever plan they had.” Police arrived at the scene roughly 15 minutes after she dialled 999.
Residents later learned that RAF Fairford was on lockdown due to a terrorist threat. The woman expressed surprise, saying, “A casual observer like me shouldn’t be the one noticing unusual activity at 1am when the base is under high alert. It’s quite extraordinary.”
In another interview, she described seeing vans with seemingly fake phone numbers and markings. Assuming the vehicles were abandoned, she returned to investigate but then witnessed men in balaclavas fleeing into surrounding trees and fields towards the base.
She quickly drove away and contacted police before warning locals via a WhatsApp group to secure their homes. Reflecting on the incident, she said, “Thinking back on it, and how close I came to them stopping me, I consider myself fortunate. It’s incredible to realise I may have encountered potential terrorists and helped prevent a plot. It was clear they had just arrived.”
The resident further described seeing a group of young men, some Middle Eastern in appearance, running through the countryside near the secured airbase at 1:30am, some wearing masks or balaclavas. “Such behaviour at that time and place naturally raised my concerns,” she added.
Nearby, a pensioner noted increased security measures around RAF Fairford in recent weeks, mentioning newly positioned vehicles and concrete barriers behind the gates.
The swift recognition and response of a vigilant local played a pivotal role in alerting authorities and potentially preventing a serious incident near RAF Fairford.