RAF Fairford farmer who called 999 about 'terror plot' reveals dramatic WhatsApp text she sent neighbours

RAF Fairford farmer who called 999 about 'terror plot' reveals dramatic WhatsApp text she sent neighbours The farmer told locals in her village that 'something very odd' was going on before police swooped into Welford and arrested five men from London, who have now been bailed A farmer has detailed the dramatic WhatsApp message she sent to locals warning them of a "bomb plot" at RAF Fairford after confronting a suspected terror cell at the base. The unnamed woman in her 50s told neighbours "something very odd is going on in the village" after she encountered a group near her home in Whelford, a village just outside the Cotswolds base, as she returned home from a party. She described the "flash moment" as she encountered three suspicious vans in the village in the early hours of the morning on Sunday. In a dramatic text to other members of her community, the woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed she had called Gloucestershire Police, with officers announcing the arrests of several men after arriving at the scene the same morning. She posted the following message to her village WhatsApp group: "If anyone is awake... something very odd is going on in the village. "The road by the village hall is blocked by three white vans and we saw a group of masked men. I've called the police to report it." She said she initially rang 101 at 1.36am, but gave up after four minutes of trying to connect with an operator, and four minutes later rang 999. She said it was a "really hard call" She added: "I didn't really know where to start because I felt a bit of a wally. They asked for the 'What Three Words' of the location of the vans, so I gave that to them." Gloucestershire Police said armed officers attended the scene following a call at around 12.45am on Sunday after receiving a report of suspicious vehicles in RAF Fairford's vicinity. They arrested five men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and later, preparation of a terrorist act under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act. They had been travelling in three vehicles, police said, which have since been subject to "extensive examination" with the support of forensics experts and military assets. The scene remains locked off to the general public as the investigation continues, with residents evacuated from the cordon area still being housed in temporary accommodation. Counter Terrorism police have since revealed that the men are all British nationals from London, aged between 23 and 25. They have also revealed that each of the men have since been released on police bail. A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing said: "To be very clear, this does not mean the investigation is over." "They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others. They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry." While police have been forthcoming with the wider public about the progress in the investigation, the farmer who originally submitted the report has said neither she nor her fellow villagers have heard back from investigators. She claimed that police have not spoken to herself or others in the village. She has also hit out at Wes Streeting after the defence secretary said the farmer only had a "partial picture" when she contacted emergency services. She said: "I know it's been said by some of the higher-ups today that I didn't have the full picture. "But the picture I had was three extremely unusual vehicles parkd in the middle of our village. And a group of unknown men running around. So that's my picture. I don't know how he knows what picture I've got. I've never met him. Nobody, literally nobody in any sort of official capacity has been in touch with me or anyone else in the village." The Mirror has contacted Gloucestershire Constabulary for comment.