Five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire over an alleged plot to attack the US-operated air base. Donald Trump said they were seeking to cause “big damage” to US forces and had been monitored for a long time, while UK officials stressed that the investigation was continuing and urged the public not to speculate.

Police were alerted shortly after midnight by a local resident who reported suspicious activity near three white vans close to the base. Officers found viable incendiary devices and chemicals in one van, deployed bomb-disposal specialists and evacuated some nearby residents; the suspects remain in custody on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and offences under the Explosives Act.