Gloucestershire Police declared a “major incident” on Sunday in the Welford area near RAF Fairford, establishing a security cordon as some residents began to be evacuated to a nearby leisure centre. Several men were arrested at the same time on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act.
Police search vehicles and confirm incident is contained
Police said the arrests followed heightened security measures at Fairford, a Royal Air Force base also used by the US Air Force. They confirmed that the incident was contained and under control, without announcing any link between the detainees or the security operation and the airbase itself. A specialist British Army team trained to deal with munitions and explosives is examining a number of vehicles in the area.
At the same time, armed police officers closed the road leading to the base’s main gate, according to a witness at the scene. Around 30 emergency vehicles were stationed in the village of Fairford near the base, including police, ambulance and fire service vehicles.
Fairford base is used by the US Air Force
The village of Welford is in south-west England beside the Royal Air Force facility, which is also used by the US Air Force. A US Air Force spokesperson said: “We are aware of reports concerning Fairford but will not publicly discuss measures related to force protection.”
The spokesperson added: “The 501st Combat Support Wing and our other wings stationed in the United Kingdom remain vigilant and will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of US service members, civilians, contractors and their families.”
The spokesperson continued: “We continuously assess a variety of factors that determine the measures we implement or adjust to protect our facilities, personnel and their families.” Fairford is considered one of the US Air Force’s important sites in Europe. It hosts the headquarters of the US 501st Combat Support Wing and is also used as a forward operating location for the deployment of US bombers.
The British government had granted the United States permission to use RAF Fairford to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
