The events around RAF Fairford offer a timely reminder of a less visible part of Britain’s counter-terrorism system: the role of the public. In the early hours of September 27, armed officers responded to a report of suspicious vehicles near the base and arrested five men. A local farmer had found a road blocked late at night as she returned home and raised the alarm.
The men, all in their 20s and UK nationals from London, were detained under the Explosives Act and on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. They have now been released on police bail while the investigation continues. Police have said several lines of inquiry remain open, and it later emerged that one of the arrested men also made a 999 call in the early hours of September 27.
