Police Find No Explosives in Vans Searched Near RAF Fairford

No explosive devices were found in three vans searched near RAF Fairford as part of a terrorism investigation, though police said a quantity of petrol was recovered from the vehicles.

Five British nationals were arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning after a resident living near the Gloucestershire airbase reported suspicious activity involving the three vans. RAF Fairford has previously been used by American forces, which has made the base a point of interest in security assessments.

The head of Counter Terrorism Policing defended the decision to release the five men on bail following their arrest, an approach that allows the investigation to continue while the suspects remain able to move freely under bail conditions rather than being held in custody.

Police have not disclosed further details about the nature of the suspicious activity that prompted the initial report, nor about what, if any, further evidence is being examined in connection with the case. The investigation remains ongoing.

The incident has drawn attention given the base's past association with US military operations, though authorities have not indicated that any specific threat to the base or personnel has been identified as part of the inquiry so far.