Men held in major incident near RAF Fairford as homes evacuated

A major incident has been declared and homes have been evacuated in a village near an RAF base which hosts the United States Air Force (USAF).

Several men have been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, police said. An army explosive ordnance disposal team is currently examining a number of vehicles.

Residents in Whelford, Gloucestershire, have been taken to a leisure centre while investigations continue, police said. A cordon is currently in place in the area and officers say they believe the incident is contained.

The base has been recently used to deploy USAF bombers since the country's conflict in Iran began in February.

In March, after then prime minister Sir Keir Starmer granted permission for "defensive" US action against Iranian missile sites from UK bases.

Four American bombers landed at RAF Fairford and the US started using British bases for "specific defensive operations".

A government spokesperson said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was receiving regular updates on the evolving situation.

They said: "We are grateful to the emergency services who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing."

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said people "can be reassured" the incident near RAF Fairford was "being dealt with".

He posted on X: "I would like to thank all those emergency and specialist teams who have acted so swiftly regarding the incident in Gloucestershire.

"We can be reassured that this is being dealt with, and it is exactly why our emergency response teams and Armed Forces are on standby 24/7."

A large emergency services presence has been seen in the area, including a Hazardous Area Response Team.

Gloucestershire Police said: "A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident.

"It follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act.

"We are working closely with our partners and are enacting the well-rehearsed plans we have in place."

Residents were believed to have been taken to a leisure centre in the nearby town of Cirencester.

Laura Hall-Wilson, from Cotswold District Council, said on X: "This is a very serious incident.

"Those closest have been evacuated to Cirencester Leisure Centre. We await more news as it comes."

Police said the men were arrested early on Sunday morning.

A USAF spokesperson said its personnel based at RAF Fairford "remain vigilant".

They said: "For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures.

"The 501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-based Wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families.

"We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families."

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