SEVENTH MAN ARRESTED OVER RAF FAIRFORD TERROR PLOT INVESTIGATION

Counter Terrorism Policing arrested a 22-year-old British man in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, in connection with the investigation into events near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Searches of a property in the same area were also carried out. He is the seventh person arrested in connection with the case. Six other men arrested earlier have been released on police bail. The arrest follows an incident on Sunday 27 September, when police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the airbase.

Five men were arrested near the base on 27 September and later released on bail, while a sixth man, a 25-year-old dual Iranian-British national, was arrested in Westminster on 1 October and also released on bail. A major incident was declared at the time and dozens of homes were evacuated, according to police. Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation "remains a live investigation" and that specialist teams "continue to pursue multiple lines of enquiry" into the circumstances surrounding the events in Gloucestershire.

Evans said officers were "working around the clock, and at pace, to identify the motivation behind events in Gloucestershire" and remained "committed to investigating all possible angles". She thanked the public for their "continued support and patience" during what she described as a "highly complex investigation". Counter Terrorism Policing is appealing for anyone with information to come forward via gov.uk/ACT or the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. Both the police and news outlets said the story was still developing, with further details expected to follow.