A woman who reported an incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has revealed the message she sent to neighbours after she saw the alarming sight of blokes in balaclavas near RAF Fairford
The hero farmer who thwarted a suspected RAF bomb plot has revealed the last-minute message she sent to neighbours after she saw balaclava-clad men entering the Fairford base.
Last night (September 27) the local was hailed a hero after she rang cops, leading to the arrest of five men and three vans full of explosives. The five suspects were all UK nationals in their 20s that live in London. They were initially arrested on suspicion of terrorism but have all just been released on bail, according to authorities.
The woman, in her 50s, has now revealed the text she sent to her local neighbours’ WhatsApp group at 1.49am. She wrote: “In case anyone is awake…something odd is going on in the village. The road by the village hall is blocked by three white vans and we saw a group of masked men. I’ve called the police to report”.
The farmer, who has been speaking to journalists about the events that transpired in the early hours, reveals she had been at a party “much later” than she would normally stay out.
She explains she spotted three vans positioned in a “weird formation” forming a “loop” in the village of Whelford.
“When you live in Whelford, you notice everything,” she said, explaining that all residents are familiar with one another, including the vehicles they drive.
She describes the vans as displaying “strange signage” on their sides. “I looked at it and thought ‘that is not real’,” she added.
The farmer pulled over to examine the vans more closely and attempted to ring the telephone number displayed on the side of one vehicle – but the line was dead.
It comes after Defence Secretary Wes Streeting’s claim the woman only had a “partial picture” when she dialled emergency services after witnessing the incident in Gloucestershire.
The woman has since fired back at Wes Streeting, saying “nobody in any sort of official capacity has been in touch”. She added she was not a “nosey neighbour” and is calling for the authorities to admit their “the mess-up”. She said: “It’s such a flash moment but there were definitely more than five. We think maybe between eight and ten of them.
“And a lot of them had their faces covered. They were all wearing similar. Almost you’d have thought perhaps it was what they’d been told to wear.”
Five men were arrested on suspicion of terror offences near RAF Fairford. They are all UK nationals in their 20s who live in London, police say.
The Iranian embassy in London has said it “categorically rejects” speculation linking the country to the arrests.
In a statement posted on X, the embassy said it “strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets”.