A member of the public who alerted police after spotting a group of hooded and masked men near RAF Fairford has been thanked by Wes Streeting, though he said she has only 'a partial picture' of the incident.
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Key facts
- A farmer contacted police after seeing a group of hooded and masked men near RAF Fairford.
- She described finding her driveway and road blocked by three white vans on returning home late from a party.
- She said the masked men ran when they saw her, some into a field and some towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford.
- Wes Streeting thanked her, saying she 'acted quickly and thoughtfully' and 'did the right thing'.
- Streeting said the farmer has 'a partial picture' of the incident.
A farmer who says she raised the alarm over an incident at RAF Fairford has been publicly thanked by Wes Streeting, who nonetheless said she has only ‘a partial picture’ of what took place, according to the Guardian.
The woman spoke at length to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, describing the sequence of events as she returned home late one evening. ‘I was coming home late from a party,’ she said. ‘On reaching our farm, I found both the driveway and the road blocked by three white vans.’
She said she had noticed unusual activity in the preceding days. ‘We had noticed some activity from what I assumed were plain-clothed police officers for the previous few days, so initially I thought perhaps this was more of the same,’ she told the programme. Unable to reach her home, she turned her vehicle around.
Driving a short distance from the vans, she said she encountered a large group of hooded and masked men. ‘When they saw me, they ran ahead of me, some into the field and some towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford,’ she said.
Streeting praised her response to the situation. ‘Thank you to that member of the public. She has done exactly what we would hope that someone in that extraordinary situation would do,’ he said. ‘I’m really grateful to her – I think she acted, by her own admission, quickly and thoughtfully, and she did the right thing.’
The farmer herself expressed concern about how the incident was handled, saying she thinks ‘someone dropped the ball’ over what happened near the base.
Why it matters
The account highlights the role members of the public can play in alerting authorities to suspicious activity near sensitive military sites. It also raises questions about how the incident near RAF Fairford was handled, with the farmer suggesting a lapse occurred.
Frequently asked questions
What did the farmer see near RAF Fairford?
She described finding her driveway and road blocked by three white vans and then seeing a large group of hooded and masked men, some of whom ran into a field and towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford when they saw her.
What did Wes Streeting say about the farmer?
Streeting thanked her, saying she acted 'quickly and thoughtfully' and 'did the right thing', but added that she has only 'a partial picture' of the incident.
What concern did the farmer raise?
She said she thinks 'someone dropped the ball' over how the incident was handled.
Timeline
- RAF Fairford live updates: Streeting thanks farmer who alerted police but says she has ‘a partial picture’
The Guardian World: Member of the public who contacted police after seeing ‘group of hooded and masked men’ near RAF base says she thinks ‘someone dropped the ball’ over incident The farmer who says she sounded the alarm spoke at length to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning. Here is some of