RAF Fairford: Seventh arrest made in Gloucestershire airbase terror investigation

Counter-terrorism officers have arrested a 22-year-old British man in London as part of an ongoing investigation into a suspected terror plot near the RAF Fairford airbase.

The suspect was detained in Westminster on Tuesday on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. His arrest is the seventh to be made in connection with an undisclosed security incident close to the military airfield in Gloucestershire last month.

The six other men previously arrested during the inquiry have all been released on police bail while investigations continue.

A widening counter-terrorism inquiry

The security operation began in earnest on Sunday, 27 September, when police arrested five men. Very few details about the nature of the security incident near the Gloucestershire base have been made public, but officers have confirmed that the threat is being treated as a serious counter-terrorism matter.

The investigation widened on 1 October with the arrest of a sixth suspect, a 25-year-old man who holds dual British and Iranian citizenship. Like the initial five suspects, he was subsequently released on police bail.

The arrest of the 22-year-old in Westminster on Tuesday suggests that police are following a trail that extends well beyond the immediate vicinity of the Gloucestershire airbase.

Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, confirmed that the inquiry is still highly active.

"It remains a live investigation," Evans said, adding that officers are continuing to "pursue multiple lines of enquiry" as they piece together the suspected plot.

Security at the military airfield

RAF Fairford, located in Gloucestershire, is a highly sensitive military site. It is routinely used by the United States Air Force, particularly as a deployment base for its heavy strategic bombers, making security around the perimeter a constant priority for both local police and national counter-terrorism agencies.

The authorities have not yet said what specific actions prompted the initial arrests, nor have they detailed what the suspects are accused of planning. It is also not yet clear whether the latest suspect arrested in London was acting in coordination with the six men previously detained.

Under UK counter-terrorism laws, police can hold suspects for extended questioning before deciding whether to charge them or release them on bail, a process that is currently playing out for the first six men arrested. The latest suspect remains in custody in London as officers continue their enquiries.