UK defence secretary thanks farmer who reported hooded and masked men near RAF Fairford

  • UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked a local farmer who alerted police after spotting “a large group of hooded and masked men” near RAF Fairford early Sunday morning.
  • UK police are investigating a reported Iran link to the suspected bomb plot near the airbase, according to The Guardian.
  • The farmer told the BBC she believes “someone dropped the ball” by allowing the suspects and their vehicles to get so close to people’s homes.
  • Streeting told Sky News the farmer acted “quickly and thoughtfully” but has “only a partial picture” of the incident.

Wes Streeting, the UK defence secretary, thanked the farmer from the floor of the Labour party conference on Monday and told reporters she did “exactly what we would hope that someone in that extraordinary situation would do.”

The woman, who lives near RAF Fairford, called police after seeing what she described as “a large group of hooded and masked men” close to the Royal Air Force base on Sunday morning. Streeting said he was grateful for “the vigilance of the members of the public who are thought to have helped alert the emergency services to the suspected terror plot.”

Speaking to Sky News, Streeting said the farmer acted, “by her own admission, quickly and thoughtfully, and she did the right thing.” He added: “With respect, though, she does only have a partial picture. And that’s as far as I wish to go this morning.” He did not address operational details of the investigation, which, according to The Guardian, police are investigating as a suspected bomb plot with a reported Iran connection.

Speaking to the BBC, the farmer said she thinks “someone dropped the ball” by allowing the suspects and their vehicles to get so close to people’s homes.

Streeting spoke to reporters from the Labour party conference on Monday and renewed his gratitude to the farmer who first raised the alarm.