Farmer reports no follow-up after alerting police to RAF Fairford incident
A Whelford resident who reported suspicious vehicles and men near RAF Fairford says authorities have not contacted her since.
Incident → evidence → outcomeA farmer from Whelford has stated she has received no communication from authorities after reporting suspicious activity near RAF Fairford. The resident, who is in her 50s, alerted police after spotting several vans parked in an unusual formation on a road near the base.
The farmer told reporters on Monday that she was travelling home with her husband and an employee when she noticed the vehicles. She described them as blocking the road and preventing access to her farm drive. One van displayed 'strange sign writing' and a contact number that did not work.
Encounter with unknown individuals
After dropping off her employee, the farmer returned and saw a large group of men. She stated they appeared to be panicking and ran when her vehicle's headlights illuminated them. She estimated seeing between eight and 10 men, all with their faces covered and wearing 'slim-fitting clothes'.
Despite the farmer's report of seeing more than five individuals, five men were subsequently arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences. The farmer attempted to contact MoD police, but received no answer. After being placed on hold when calling 101, she dialled 999.
Armed police arrived within five minutes of her call, and arrests were made. A helicopter was also deployed for searches for approximately two hours. The farmer expressed surprise at the lack of follow-up, stating that police had her details from the 999 call but had not contacted her.
Official response
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting commented on the situation, suggesting the farmer had a 'partial picture' of events. Responding to this, the farmer stated that seeing 'three extremely unusual vehicles parked in the middle of our village and a group of unknown men running around' constituted her picture of the situation.
She added that no one from any official capacity had been in touch with her or other villagers regarding the incident. The farmer reported that the vans remained in the village centre next to houses until approximately 6:30 AM the following morning, with no action taken regarding their placement.
Questions this report answers
01What happened near RAF Fairford?
A farmer reported seeing suspicious vans and a group of masked men near RAF Fairford. Five men were later arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences following the report.
02What is the farmer's complaint about the authorities?
The farmer claims that despite reporting the incident to the police via 999 and providing her details, she has received no follow-up communication from any authorities since the event.
03What did the Defence Secretary say about the farmer's report?
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting stated that the farmer had a 'partial picture' of the situation. The farmer responded that her observations of unusual vehicles and masked men constituted her view of events.
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