Two Latvian men held under National Security Act after RAF Molesworth breach
Two Latvian nationals living in the UK were arrested inside RAF Molesworth after a fence breach and are held under the National Security Act, police say.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Two Latvian nationals living in the UK have been arrested at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire under the National Security Act. The men, aged 36 and 32, were detained in the early hours of the morning after they allegedly breached the perimeter fence and entered the base late last night. Counter Terrorism Policing and Cambridgeshire Constabulary are investigating.
A routine security patrol found a suspicious abandoned car near the base perimeter at around 10pm. Officers then found a small breach in the perimeter fence. About four hours later, the two men were found inside the base and arrested. They were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass and criminal damage before being re-arrested under the National Security Act on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. The abandoned car was cordoned off and analysed at a police location. Specialist explosives officers checked it, but no suspicious items were found. Two addresses in Peterborough are being searched.
RAF Molesworth is a sensitive site. Although it is called an RAF base, it is not used for flying. It is used by visiting American forces and is a joint US and NATO intelligence hub for Europe and Africa. It was hosting an intelligence conference on Russia yesterday. It is understood the arrests were not intelligence-led.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing in London, said police were aware of recent heightened interest and concern around military sites. She said that at this stage there was nothing to suggest the incident was connected to events at RAF Fairford last week. The investigation is at a very early stage and a big part is looking at any potential motivation for why the men were present at the site. She said police were keeping an open mind and asked the public to remain vigilant.
The incident follows the discovery of suspicious vehicles outside RAF Fairford last week. Seven men were arrested and later bailed. The US and UK governments both suspect Iranian involvement. Police are not currently linking the two incidents, but the investigation at RAF Molesworth will examine whether there was any foreign involvement. The Defence Secretary thanked police and security teams for acting quickly.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| Counter Terrorism Policing said the incident did not appear to be connected to events at RAF Fairford the previous week. | Reported by ITV | |
| Two men were arrested at a Cambridgeshire RAF base under the National Security Act, after initially being held on suspicion of trespass and criminal damage. | ||
| Only on one channel | ||
| RAF Molesworth serves as a joint US and NATO intelligence hub and does not host flying operations. | Not reported by Sky News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News broke the story as a live afternoon update, leading on the National Security Act arrest and the police response. It gave the clearest timeline from the police account: an abandoned car at around 10pm, a breached perimeter fence, and arrests in the early hours. It also carried Commander Helen Flanagan's no-link line to RAF Fairford and noted searches at two Peterborough addresses.
- “Two men have been arrested at a Cambridgeshire RAF base on suspicion of an offence under the National Security Act.”
- “We're very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest this incident is connected to the events at RAF Fairford last week.”
- “two addresses are currently being searched by officers in Peterborough.”
ITV1 led with on-site reporting from RAF Molesworth and put the base's intelligence role at the centre of its coverage. It stressed that the site is not a flying base but a joint US and NATO intelligence hub, and its later bulletin added that the base had hosted a conference on Russia. It also highlighted the four-hour gap before the men were found, the absence of suspicious items in the car, and the question of foreign involvement while police said they were not linking the case to RAF Fairford.
- “It is not used for flying, as the name RAF Molesworth might suggest, but rather by visiting American forces and is a joint US and NATO intelligence hub.”
- “Yesterday, it was hosting an intelligence conference on Russia.”
- “Police here at the moment are not linking the two incidents, but clearly a big part of their investigation now will be to work out whether there was any foreign involvement here”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.