Major incident declared near RAF Fairford after arrests under Explosives Act

Several men were arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, and police declared a major incident in the village of Whelford, beside RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. A number of properties were evacuated.

Gloucestershire Police said the evacuations followed the arrests. A cordon remained in place while the scene was examined, and residents were moved to a temporary emergency shelter at a nearby leisure centre.

British Army explosive ordnance disposal teams were investigating a number of vehicles in the village, which lies just outside the base's security fencing. Police helicopters were reported circling over Whelford.

The action came a day after U.S. forces stepped up security precautions at the base. Accounts on Sep. 26 described alerts sounding over the installation's public address system, aircraft dispersed across the airfield, crash gates blocked and reinforced, and an apparent rise in the force protection condition to the highest level. Aircraft spotters in the area took notice.

Police have not said what the vehicles or the arrests relate to, and no further detail on the nature of the suspected offences has been released. The number of people arrested and the number of homes evacuated have not been confirmed.