West Suffolk MP says RAF Lakenheath incident is resolved, no threat to public

Timothy urges public to report suspicious activity given raised threat level

Nick Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, said authorities at RAF Lakenheath had told him “there is no threat to the public, and the incident is now resolved”. He added: “Given the raised threat level, I continue to encourage everyone to report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary to the authorities.”

The assurance Timothy relayed is the named, on-record account of how base authorities characterize the episode. The US air force’s own statement addressed a different set of facts: its response to the suspected activity, the absence of effects at the site, and its continuing work with host nation counterparts.

The US air force said it responded to “suspected unauthorised drone activity” on Friday night at an airbase in the east of England. No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure were affected, the air force said — a line the report’s standfirst carried as: “No personnel, aircraft or infrastructure at Suffolk site affected, says US military.”

Sirens were heard at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, one of several airbases in the UK used by the US military. The Guardian’s photograph of the site’s main entrance described RAF Lakenheath as one of several airbases in the UK used exclusively by the US military.

The force said it continued to work closely with its host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of US service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors and all of their families. “We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, US and host nation civilians, contractors and all of our families,” the force said.

“Protecting our shared community is a joint responsibility, and we encourage everyone to support this effort by reporting any unusual or suspicious activity to local authorities,” the force added — a message that matches the reporting appeal Timothy made in his own statement.

The US air force did not, in the statement The Guardian carried, describe what prompted the suspected drone activity; the report was published with a note that more details were to follow.