Five men arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences at RAF Fairford airbase

Five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after a major incident was declared at an airbase in the west of England.

Bomb disposal teams have been examining a number of vehicles near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and dozens of homes in the surrounding area have been evacuated.

Here is a summary of what we know so far.

RAF Fairford is located in the Cotswolds, about four miles (6.4km) south of the town of Fairford, which sits along the River Coln.

The base shares a long history with the American military, and has recently been used by US warplanes as a staging post for defensive strikes on Iran.

Local police said they received a call about "three suspicious vehicles" travelling towards RAF Fairford at 00:45 BST on Sunday.

Five men were later arrested by armed officers near Whelford, a Cotswold village around two miles (3.2km) south-east of the base.

A bomb disposal team was also deployed to the village to examine a number of vehicles, around which a 400m (1,312ft) cordon has been placed.

Aerial pictures showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two stationary white vans in a wooded area, though its use has not been confirmed by police.

There has been large emergency service presence in the area since the early hours of Sunday, which Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said would remain "for some time".

Ocone told a news conference on Sunday afternoon that "work to establish the full nature of the incident is ongoing".

Counter Terrorism Policing are now leading the investigation. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said officers were "working closely" with partners to "understand the circumstances of the incident".

The five men were initially detained on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.

They were then further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.

The men, who remain in custody, have not been named.

US President Donald Trump said those arrested were "looking to do big damage", adding: "We had them under view for a long time, and we got them."

One Whelford resident has described the moment he said he saw police apprehend the suspects.

Jeff told the BBC he heard "shouting outside his front door", although he could not be sure where it came from.

He said he then looked out of his window and saw "people being held by police outside".

Another man, Julian Tudsbery, said: "There were these three vans that arrived in the middle of the village and a resident reported them to the police straight away."