One of the Fairford Five Called 999 Himself
One of the men arrested near the airbase dialled 999 at a quarter to one on Sunday morning, nearly an hour before the farmer who reported men in balaclavas. No explosives were found in the three vans, only petrol as an accelerant, and the vehicles stood 400 metres from the base. The men, all British and aged 23 to 25, were held under ordinary police powers rather than terrorism ones.
That last detail explains the bail decision that so annoyed Washington. Because they were detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act rather than the Terrorism Act, the fourteen-day clock never applied and release on conditions was the ordinary course. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor was pointed about the criticism: “I understand why this development was surprising to some, but I would like to reiterate that this is an investigative decision and one which is grounded in experience and strategy.” He has also said the men “absolutely remain under investigation” and that one line of inquiry is that this “may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state”. Four live in Westminster and one in Camden, and the house searches are complete. The cordons are expected to lift today. Watch whether anyone is charged.