Cricket game near RAF Fairford stopped by armed guards due to 'live incident' eight hours before five men were arrested over 'terror plot'
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A family playing cricket near RAF Fairford were ordered away by armed guards who warned them there was a 'live incident' - eight hours before five men were arrested over a suspected terror plot.
The warning came at around 4.30pm last Saturday, as security at the US-linked airbase was heightened following intelligence suggesting an attack could be possible.
The family had been playing near the perimeter when two armed guards suddenly ran towards the fence and told them to leave.
One of the cricketers said: 'We'd played the evening before with no issue, but on Saturday two guards ran to the fence with guns and said: "You can't be here. There is a live incident going on. It's not safe".'
The warning came more than eight hours before police received a 999 call about suspicious activity in nearby Whelford at 12.45am on Sunday.
A woman returning to the village reported seeing masked men and three suspicious vans, prompting a major armed police operation around the Gloucestershire base.
Five men, all British nationals in their twenties and from London, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and the preparation of a terrorist act.
Three white vans are investigated by a robot after the alleged plot near RAF Fairford last Sunday
Five men are arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire yesterday
The new account of the cricket match, revealed by The Sun, raises fresh questions about what was known at RAF Fairford in the hours before the police operation.
Residents in nearby Dunfield also described hearing a public-address announcement inside the base on Saturday evening, followed by the apparent disappearance of staff.
One resident said: 'It's obvious the Americans, knew something way before us. But if it affects them, it affects us. We are right next door.
'We're frustrated and scared at the lack of correspondence from the base and UK authorities.'
It is understood families connected to the base left during the emergency and have subsequently only been allowed to return to collect belongings.
The events unfolded against a backdrop of heightened security around RAF Fairford, which has been used by US forces in military operations against Iran.
The airbase was already considered a potential target amid the escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
In the early hours of Sunday, the female farmer who raised the alarm told police she had seen masked men and three vans close to her home.
Armed officers rushed to the scene and arrested the five suspects.
Counter Terrorism Policing later said the vehicles had undergone extensive examination with military and forensic support.
One of the three vans near RAF Fairford had 'Fuel 2You' printed on its exterior in red text - it is not thought to be associated with a real company
US Air Force bomberson the tarmac at RAF Fairford base in Fairford today
No improvised explosive devices were found, although a quantity of petrol was recovered.
One of the men involved is said to have called police himself.
The circumstances surrounding the men's intentions remain under investigation.
US President Donald Trump has previously said American authorities had been watching the suspects for 'a long time', while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested a foreign actor could have been involved.
British counter-terrorism chiefs have stressed that they are keeping an open mind and are examining every possible angle, including possible foreign-state involvement.
All five men were released on police bail but remain under investigation and are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others.
The investigation then widened when a sixth suspect was arrested in Westminster on Thursday.
The 25-year-old dual British-Iranian national was held on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, while two properties in the area were searched.
He was released on police bail yesterday, with Counter Terrorism Policing confirming that the investigation into the events near RAF Fairford remains ongoing.
Around 85 households in Whelford were evacuated during the initial police operation, while a large cordon was put in place as bomb disposal experts examined the three vans.
Police have not established publicly whether the suspects were actually planning an attack on RAF Fairford, or what they intended to do with the petrol found in the vehicles.
The base had been on high alert after receiving intelligence suggesting that an attack was possible.
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