Andy Burnham has said he will chair a Cobra meeting following the suspected terror attack attempt on RAF Fairford this weekend, and thanked police and other officials and well as the public for their response to the incident
Andy Burnham has said he will chair a Cobra meeting this afternoon on the suspected terror attack on RAF Fairford at the weekend.
The Prime Minister told LBC at the Labour party conference in Liverpool that he wanted to get the “full picture” on what had happened at the base used by the British and US air forces in Gloucestershire.
Burnham said: “I want to thank the police, the Gloucestershire Police, the security services, the emergency services, the public who alerted us, so thank you to everybody for the way that they’ve worked.
“What I can say is that I will chair a meeting of Cobra later this afternoon just to make sure we have the full picture, the full situation very clearly in our sights and so maybe we’ll say more about that later today.”
Five men have been arrested over the suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which while being a UK base is frequently used by the US Air Force.
Police were apparently alerted shortly after midnight on Sunday, September 27, after a resident spotted three suspicious white vans apparently travelling towards the base and a group of hooded and masked men nearby. Armed officers responded and arrested five men, all British nationals from London in their early 20s.
The suspects were initially detained under the Explosives Act before being further arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Bomb-disposal specialists have been examining the vans, with reports that suspected explosive material was discovered inside. Around 85 nearby homes were evacuated and a 400-metre cordon established.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating the motive, including a reportedly possible connection to Iran, although ministers have been quick to emphasise that no link has yet been established.
Donald Trump said the suspects had been “under view” and claimed they were seeking to cause “big damage”.
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