UK minister backs police decision to bail RAF Fairford suspects

Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell has defended the decision to release on bail five British men arrested over a suspected bomb plot near RAF Fairford. The men, all in their 20s and from London, were arrested in Gloucestershire after being found near the airbase in three vans containing suspicious material. Police later said no explosive material had been found, and released the suspects on bail with stringent conditions.

Speaking at the Labour party conference in Liverpool, Powell said decisions about bail were operational matters for police rather than ministers. She said she trusted the judgments made by officers while declining to provide details about an ongoing investigation. The arrests prompted criticism from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump.

Rubio said a foreign actor was clearly involved, but provided no evidence or further detail. Trump said he would not have released the suspects and said the case might be connected to Iran. British counter-terrorism officials have not confirmed an Iranian link.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said investigators were considering every possible angle and that the release on bail did not mean the inquiry had ended. The suspects were arrested after a farmer reported seeing men who appeared to be wearing balaclavas near the village of Whelford, about two miles from RAF Fairford. She said they ran away after her headlights illuminated them.

The airbase houses American bombers that fly missions against Iran, and an Iranian connection remains one line of inquiry. Police are also investigating whether the men were paid to gather in the area. No motive has been established.

Powell said ministers should not interfere with operational police decisions while the investigation continues.