UK police bail five men arrested near RAF Fairford after no explosives found

September 30, 2026 at 12:54 AM2 min

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Five men arrested near RAF Fairford on Sunday were released on police bail after counter-terrorism detectives found no explosives in their vans, only petrol. The head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing defended the decision as an investigative strategy, while US President Donald Trump claimed the men had intended to cause major damage to the base.

Key Facts

Five men from London in their 20s were arrested under the Explosives Act near RAF Fairford on Sunday morning.
Counter-terrorism detectives found no explosives in the suspects' three vans, only petrol described as an accelerant.
The suspects were released on police bail with very strict conditions, a decision defended by UK Counter Terrorism Policing head Laurence Taylor.
US President Donald Trump asserted the men had been trying to do 'big damage' to the base and criticised the bail decision.
The men were held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, not the Terrorism Act, limiting detention options.

Arrest and Investigation

Residents of Whelford village were evacuated before sunrise on Sunday as police conducted a large operation next to RAF Fairford, a base used by the US Air Force. A villager photographed five men sitting on the ground, stripped to the waist, handcuffed and under armed guard. The men were arrested for offences under the Explosives Act, but counter-terrorism detectives later stated no explosives were found in their three vans, only an accelerant identified as petrol. Military remote-controlled robots were used to search the vans, and the absence of explosives changed the course of the investigation.

International Reaction

US President Donald Trump claimed the men had been under surveillance for a long time and had intended to cause major damage to the base. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the situation as very serious and said it clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor. Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said public worry had been heightened by international commentary and defended the bail decision as grounded in experience and strategy.

Bail Decision

The suspects were held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act rather than the Terrorism Act, which meant detectives could not hold them for 14 days. Police bail with very strict conditions was used, and Taylor described it as an investigative decision. It remained unclear whether the men were already under surveillance when villagers alerted police in the night.