Villager reveals chilling discovery near RAF base before five men arrested

She alerted police after spotting the men

A local farmer spotted the vehicles blocking a road in Whelford in the early hours of Sunday morning, less than a mile from the air base. 

She had been driving home from a party when she noticed what she described as unusual lettering on one of the vans, along with a phone number that appeared to be missing a digit.

After turning around, she saw several men wearing masks and balaclavas running away from the vehicles. 

She said some disappeared into nearby fields, while others appeared to head towards the air base.

The farmer immediately drove away and called 999. She also sent a warning to a local WhatsApp group, telling people to lock their doors. Police arrived around 15 minutes later.

“I just thought what the hell are they doing,” she told The Telegraph, describing the sight of the masked men in the countryside.

Armed officers then secured the area while bomb disposal specialists used a robot to examine the vans. 

Around 85 households were evacuated as the investigation got under way, with counter-terrorism officers also becoming involved.

'We saw more than five people'

Police said materials found inside the vehicles were being examined to determine what they were and whether they could have been used in an attack.

The farmer said she was particularly concerned because she believed there had been more people at the scene than those subsequently arrested.

“The worst thing is that we saw more than five people,” she said.

Gloucestershire Police's temporary chief constable, Maggie Blyth, has indicated that officers are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, while police have said the situation is contained.

Reflecting on what happened, the farmer said she now realises how fortunate she was to have been able to leave the area safely.

“Thinking about it now, and what could have happened if they had tried to stop me from driving away, I am quite lucky,” she said.